these things on this side Death and what we say of Heathens may be extended to Idiots and persons born Deaf c. It may be said probably that they have not that good and comfort in their hearts that properly spring from the faith and knowledge of these Truths unless by extraordinary inward Revelation and yet neither can we say they can have no benefit by those things truly asserted to Salvation seeing benefit by them to Salvation may accrue to persons I say not that reject the knowledge and faith of them when afforded or neglected to seek them having opportunity thereto but that by the All-wise Providence of God are deprived of them as is plain in the case of Infants which have both evil and good by what they never had any capacity for the Knowledge and Faith of that is the Sin of Adam and the Death of Christ for them 2. From the Unity of the Doctrine and its Truth though under different degrees and forms of Expression and the vertuous being of the things with God as sure to be done in time which in former Ages were not actually done it follows also That it 's no true or good consequence to say Because some were actually Dead and in Hell before Christs Incarnation and Suffering therefore Christ was not Incarnate or Dyed not for them That he Dyed not for them as in Hell may probably be said but not that he dyed not for them as persons sometimes living on the Earth capable of the Truths being declared to and received by them seeing they had the same Truth in substance declarable or declared to them as a thing to be done in its time that we have now declared to us as a thing already done but if it was in their days true That God was so affected towards them as to appoint his Son in due time to suffer for them then was it also certainly in its time performed for them what ever in the mean time became of them even as it was true for them that were actually Saved and in Paradise or Abraham's bosome before Christ came that Christ when he came should Dye for them not as Saved persons and then in Heaven but as Sinners in their day that needed his Death for their Salvation and accordingly in due time he did suffer for them The Saved being saved through and in belief of and obedience to the same Truth and Grace for the contempt of and disobedience to which the Damned were Condemned and the Damned Condemned for Contempt of the same by which the Believer was Saved But let us descend to a more full and particular account of the said Doctrine and see what it is and what is in it CHAP. II. Of the Doctrine or Faith of the Gospel both more implicitely and generally and more explicitely and particularly SECT 1. Of the Faith of the Gospel more implicitly THe Truth or the Doctrine to be preached and believed is the Doctrine or Faith of the Gospel the sum whereof more implicitly or generally is this The Being and goodness of God both more general to men and more specially to men seeking after and trusting in him as in that of the Apostle He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that seeâ— him out or diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 Or that in 1 Tim. 4.10 That the living God is the Saviour of all men and especially of those that believe The Doctrine contained in either of which sayings it's certain is true Doctrine to be Preached to any or every man nor doth the truth of it or any part of it depend upon any mans knowing or believing it for whether men know or believe that there is a God or not yet it is true That God is Or whether any man do believe or know that God is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him or not yea and whether these or those men do seek him or not yet this is true That God is a Rewarder of them that does diligently seek him It is not indeed true of All That they do diligently seek him but true it is to and for all that God is a Rewarder of them that so do the like may be said of the other passage It is true That God is the Saviour of all men especially of them that Believe whether any man do believe it or no know it or no though men cannot believe in him unless they know him yet such a one he is in himself and as such to be represented to men before they know or believe in him that they may know and believe in him and prove the truth of what he is to them that seek or believe in him in being rewarded and specially saved by him Mens faith or unbelief knowledge or ignorance of this Doctrine may further or hinder their believing in God and seeking after him but neither makes true nor false the Doctrine it self It is as true amongst the Indians and Americans that God is the Saviour of All men especially of them that Believe in him and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him as it is amongst us Christians and to be proved by such of them as believe in him and seek him as well as it is by such of us as so do though those sayings of Truth be not so known amongst them as amongst us We know better what is true for them then they themselves do but that which is true for them is as true for them though they know it not as for us that know it even as a seeing man sees and knows better what is about a Blind man than himself may do though it s nevertheless truly about him for his not seeing it nor is any thing the more about us because we see it to be about us then the same would be if we were blind and could not see it But let us see this Doctrine and what is in it more explicitely true for those that have not that Doctrine opened to them as we have it though more known to be true by us and we there through better furnished for seeking after the benefit of thaâ— Truth and for making it known also to others both in 1. What is supposed and taken for granted in the Gospel and by it implyed tho not properly Gospel or glad tidings by it self considered And in 2. What is properly and directly Gospel and more fully spoken to and insisted on in it SECT 2. Of the Truths supposed and implyed in the Gospel yet not properly and by themselves Gospel OF the former sort are these Articles and Heads of Doctrine that follow viz. 1. That there is a Glorious Divine Power and Being Psal 58.11 â—6 4 5. which is God infinitely above and beyond all other Powers and Beings 2. That this God is but One in himself Tim. 2.5 Cor. 8.4 6. Essence and Being 3. That in that One God John 5.7 there is
Earth so as that Terah Abraham's Father was not free from it though both Noah and Shem and divers other good Men it 's likely were then living but that is to be attributed to Mens corrupting themselves God nevertheless was dispensing the knowledge of his word to and amongst them but more fully yea more fully than to the Holy men in former Ages was he pleased to dispense and give it forth to Abraham with Isaac and Jacob and their Children Abraham he called and chose and brought out 〈◊〉 Vr of the Chaldees and made known him self more familiarly and clearly to him by way of Covenant with him finding his heart faithfull Gen. 12.3 18.18 22.18 26.4 28.14 Gal. 3.8 9. as Neh. 9.7 8. with Gen. 12.1 Heb. 11.8 To him he revealed That of him should the promised Seed be and so to Isaac and Jacob after him and that in that Seed all the Families of the Earth should be blessed there blessing should be prepared for them and given unto them with respect to which he called his name Abraham as ordaining him a Father of the many Nations that they might be directed thither to look for blessing To him therefore Melchisedeck also the Priest of the most High God and King of Salem Gen. 14.19 20. gave a most solemn blessing after his return from the slaughter of the Kings Rom. 4.11 12. by which his name was made famous doubtless in all those Nations To him God gave the word of Faith even the promise of blessing in his Seed to all the Families of the Earth to propagate a Spiritual Seed to God by of whom Abraham Ministerially should be the Father and added to it the sign of Circumcision a Seal of the Righteousness of the Faith which he had both as it signifies a gracious believing and as it signifies the Word and Doctrine to be held forth to his Children and Servants and in the World as he had opportunity before he was Circumcised for the Sealing unto men the truth of that Faith that was given to him and held forth by him that therein they that received it might be justified and accepted of God as righteous even they that believed God's Revelation to him of blessing in his Seed to all the Nations and there sought it Which blessing what could it signifie but that in and by his Seed sin should be satisfied for and taken away Rom. 4.6 7. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. and the Curse and Death removed and that access to God and Grace and a fvour with God might through him be had even by them all which same blessing and promise was also given to Isaac and Jacob as may be seen in the Scriptures fore quoted yea to them all also was given further the promise of another Inheritance an Heavenly Countrey figured too by the promise of the Land of Canaan which they believed and hoped for and sought after and plainly declared their Faith and expectation of Heb. 11.9 10 13 14 15 16. Something sure was in this beyond what the former Fathers had revealed to them by vertue of which he obtained the honour of being called the Friend of God and the Father of all that believe 2 Chron. 20.7 Jam. 2.21 23. Rom. 4.16 Gen. 49.10 To and by Jacob also was yet further revealed that the promised Seed should be of his son Judah whom also he calls the Shiloh or Peace-maker as implying his work should be to make peace between God and Men and between Men and Men for unto him should be the gathering of the People or their obedience yea and this famous hint was further given him of the time of Christ's coming that it should be before the Scepter or Tribe should depart from Judah and a Law-giver should cease from between his feet that is they should be continued a Tribe and have the form of a Commonwealth and Government amongst them though for sometime interrupted as to the power with them yet not taken or removed wholly from them till Shiloh should come or be born to him Now this manifestation of God and of the knowledge of himself and Son vouchsafed to those Patriarchs they transmitted to their Children and it was kept by and with them in Egypt till the time of their delivery Heb. 11.25 26. thence by Joseph and his Brethren during their lives and after that by the Fathers that succeeded them though the generality of them declined from walking with God perfectly and defiled themselves with the Idols of the Egyptians even as the Children of Ishmael Abraham's Son by Hagar and his Sons by Keturah and Esau and his posterity too to whom yet their Fathers Abraham and Isaac were not wanting to transmit the knowledge of God they had received from him too generally had done And yet we may not think that because those Worthies onely had the honour and priviledge to be chosen to have such further dispensations of the Mystery of God opened to them and be trusted with them and no others so as they that therefore there were no other holy Men in those times but they or no knowledge of God and means of Salvation afforded to other Nations For beside what we have said Sect. 1. it is evident as we noted above that Shem and Arphaxad and Heber were living a good part of those times yea and there was Lot too and Melchisedech if a man in the days of Abraham and Lot is called a Righteous man 2 Pet. 2.7 8. yea evident it is that amongst the Children of the East there were Job and his Friends good men Job 1.1 5 8. 17.8 9. yea Job highly commended as not inferiour to any for the fear of God and uprightness of his heart and they spoke of Righteous and Innocent men in their discourses as supposing there were such then to be found amongst them and they are probably conceived to have lived about the time of Israel's sojourning in * Colligimus ex libro ejus tertia generatione posteriorem fuisse Jobum quam Israel Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 47. Egypt And at the time of Israels deliverance out of Egypt God did marvellously make bare his Arm amongst the Naâ—ons that they might know and seek him especially to Israel by the hand of Moses and Aaron Now the Ages spoken to in this Section contain at least eight or nine hundred years according to Bishop Vsher eight hundred fifty seven beginning the 430 years which it is said the sojourning of the Children of Israel in the Land of Egypt continued from Abraham's coming out of his own Countrey into the Land and so from his and his Seeds becoming sojourners and the promise being made to him of Blessing in his Seed for all the Families of the Earth mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 3.8 16 17. which promise he says was confirmed with him four hundred and thirty years before the Law And indeed it is to be minded that the
his Family alive to new people the World 2. By him even Noah was the right way of faith and worship again proâ—gated to all men by Word and Sacriâ— so as it might have been received and retained by them successively But thouâ— Noah himself and Shem his Son lived long time yet before Abrahams time less than four hundred years they had very generally turned aside from the fa◠〈◊〉 sincerity of worship again and made themselves Gods of their own devising 〈◊〉 offered their Sacrifices to them But God in great mercy that his Truth 〈◊〉 the Witnesses of it and way of Worship might not be quite lost out of the world took pitty on it and called and chose out Abraham and his Family and gave to them both the further revelation of the Faith with its Ordinance and added also as further promises so another outward Ordinance too for witnessing and â—aling the same viz. the Ordinance of Circumcision SECT 4. Of Circumcision given to Abraham and his Seed CIrcumcision which was a Religious cutting off the Foreskin of the Flesh or member of Generation was the next outward Ordinance then appointed of God to men And it began to be an Ordinance of God in Abrahams time and so was not of so early a beginning nor of that Universal extent as the Law for Sacrificing nor so universally received and practised by men but given to and praâ—â—ised by Abrahams family and those that were willing to joyn themselves with them And it was given to him not only to be given to him not only to be practised on himself and his Family but to be delivered by him them as an Ordinance to be observed them in their generations Gal. 3.8 After God 〈◊〉 made his promise of blessing all Nation in him and his Seed In his Seed as 〈◊〉 person in whom the blessing should 〈◊〉 and in him as he with whom the righâ— way of faith and worship was deposited and after he had promised tomultiply his Seed Heb. 11.13 14 15 16. both Spiritual and Carnal and had promised him not only an Earthly but a Heavenly Country that it might be evident that Christ and the grace brought in by him was the foundation of this Ordinance also Though this Ordinance had some further and other significations than that of Sacrifice for though the Death and Bloodshed of Christ might be implied in it in that by Bloodshed men were admitted into the Church of God in Abrahams Family yet it was given also further Rom. 4.11 as the Apostle says as a siâ—n and seal of the righteousness of the faith that Abraham had being yet uncircumcised And so it was 1. A sign in their flesh both of Gods Covenant made with Abraham and his Seed concerning the blessing all Nations in him and of his owning and taking Abrahams Family for his Church and People and so to be as a Sign or Mark of the People with whom the right Faith and Worship was deposited as also a Sign of the way of right believing and coming to be of Abrahams spiritual Seed under the promise of righteousness and â—ing viz. that the way thereto 〈◊〉 by attending to and receiving his faith or doctrine concerning the promised Seed singly cleaving to him and letting go all confidence in their natural birth and what they thereby were as corrupt and lothsom and so all fleshly priviledges to be cut off and cast away so as to confidence for blessing or life to be placed therein nor in any fleshly thing a Parts Wisdom Goodness Righteousness of their own c. which should all be let go for Christ the promised Seed that they might by believing the testimony of God concerning him be made in him and so of the Seed of Abraham after the Spirit and inherit the blessing as also that the way for Abraham and his Seed to beget Children to God to be heirs with him is not to consult with the Wisdom or use the weapons of the Flesh nor by natural and carnal generation but by the word of God the simplicity of the faith of Christ to be held forth by him Nor was it only his natural Seed that might come into Christ and have this blessing but any man and therefore he was to instruct and disciple as it were all that were under his power and dispose to circumcise all born in his house or bought with his mony nor were any to be accounted of that society of external Worshippers but those that had of received that sign or badge of the Covenant as none are of the Spiâ— Seed but those that suffer the Spirituâ— Circumcision in Christ to pass upon theâ— and so rejecting all fleshly glorying and confidence do worship God in the Spirit and Truth according to his Faith or Doctrine It was also 2. A Seal or Confirmation of the Righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised by which faith may be meanâ— either 1. That Object of Faith that Truth or Doctrine he believed and preached which was both Rom. 4.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. That in him and in hâ—â— Seed all the Nations should be blessed Gal. 3.8 and that God would give hiâ— a numerous Seed especially as to his Spiritual Seed that should be heirs of the world the world to come in its renewed state with him and then the Righteousness of the Faith so taken signifieth either The righteousness of it that it is the right and true faith that men ought to imbrace and believe as pertaining to Christ and the blessing in him for all Nations and the blessedness of his Sprititual Seed and their enjoyment of the world to come or else also 2. The righteousness prepared for all Nations contained in the word Blessing that is the forgiveness of sins and the justification preached in that Faith and Doctrine even as David describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord â—tes righteousness without works say 〈◊〉 Blessed is the man whose iniquities are â—ven and whose sins are covered Rom. 6 7. or else 〈◊〉 By Faith is meant that believing of that Doctrine and so in God that was â—nd in Abraham before he received that Ordinance of Circumsicion for it was â—fied of him before that he believed â—ording to what was said to him and that was accounted to him for righteousness and so the righteousness of his faith also taken may either signifie the rightness and truth of his so believing or also his righteous account he had with God therethrough Gods justification and acceptation of him but I think the former 〈◊〉 of Faith and its Righteousness is â—ant rather by the Apostle So that by this Ordinance was Sealed both that that was the Faith and Truth to be believed by whosoever would come in to them yea by â—ll men as it might be to them declared and that therein is held forth the true Righteousness and way to Righteousness 〈◊〉 all Nations viz. that in so believing God as Abraham did
the Miracles wrought by him as they were confirmations of him and his Doctrine so they had also some significant intimation of the grace brought in by him As the spiritual healing enlivening and saving of men But this was the General and first end of all God's Miracles to demonstrate himself his Truth and People to Men touching which Miracles I note 1. That they were not at all times nor ordinarily wrought for then would they not have been taken for Miracles but upon some special times or upon special occasions As 1. When God brought Israel out of Aegypt to manifest himself to be the true God and Israel his People and to prepare them for his Law and evidence it to be his and so in his Call in them to be and setting them up for his Church with whom his Truth and Worship should be deposited that the residue of the Nations all about might know which was the true God and which his Church and 〈◊〉 where to seek and find him and hiâ— Truth Therefore he set his signes in Aegypt and in the Wilderness to get himself a glorious Name or an everlasting Name as Isaias says and to make his Name known in all the Earth as he said by Moses Isa 63.12 14. Exod. 9.16 We read of few Miracles before except we account the preservation of Noah in the Ark and the Destruction of Sodom for such and surely there might be less need then because of the long Lives of the Patriarks and first Fathers amongst men to hold forth the truth to them 2. In the time of the Apostacy of Israel to manifest to the halting People who was the true God and which his Worship and so to turn their hearts back again as in the times of Elias and Elisha 1 King 18.36 37. 2 King 2. and 3. and 4. and 5. and 6. and 7. c. 3. In the time of the Captivity Jonas 1. 2. 3. Dan. 3. 3. 6. Isa 38. 39. Job 20.31 and a little before in Jonah's time for making known himself and his people amongst the Heathen to prepare them to receive his Message and confirm his poor Captives that waited upon him and give them favour amongst their Enemies 4. At the coming of Christ in the Flesh and his Actual Preaching the Kingdom of God and accomplishing the things of our Salvation to make him manifest to be the Christ and that to be the truth that was Preached by Him and his Apostles in his Name Mat. 11.5 6. Heb. 2.3 4. 〈◊〉 In seting up or taking to himself from aâ—ong the Gentiles a people to be his church 〈◊〉 which the residue of men might resort to seek him Dent. 4. Act. 15.3 4 12 14 15 16 17. 2. That though God wrought many of his Miracles so as they were conspicuous to and amongst the Gentiles yet Israel were Witnesses of more of them then the Gentiles till after Christ's Ascention Israel had the preheminence too in this Dispensation 3. That it was not God's mind that people should look for Miracles to be the foundation and ground of their Faith but that they should believe and have their Faith grounded upon his Doctrine to which he bare Testimony by those Miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost as and when he pleased especially after he had by such Miracles evidenced the Truth and therefore he faulted it as an evil and unbelieving and adulterous frame of heart to be requiring signs after he had sufficiently evidenced Himself Psal 44.1.2 3. 77.11 12. Isa 63.7 8 9 c. Psal 78.3 4 5 6 7 105.5 6 7 8. Joh. 20.29 7.37 38. Rom. 4.17 18. Heb. 4.2 and his Truth to men as Matth. 16.1 2 3 4. Joh. 〈◊〉 .48 Directing them to the Wonders and Miracles formerly wrought by him and to acquiesce and rest in his Authority and Truth as Witnessed thereby and not to be doting upon new Signes to satisfie thâ— vanity of their Minde thence we finâ— David and other holy Men of God ofteâ— mentioning and looking back to 〈◊〉 Works and Wonders of old and Goâ— ordering men so to do they that believâ— because they see being not so happy noâ— their Faith usually so firm as they thâ— believe and see not but believe accordiâ— to what is spoken and as the Scripture saith 4. That God having given a full Testimony to his Truth and to the Revelation of his Truth in these Last Days by his Son and confirming it also by divers Signes Miracles and Gifts of the holy Ghost would have us henceforth acquiesce in them and not either look after more Miracles to perswade us to believe nor receive any because they may work them for he hath fore-warned us that he will suffer Antichrist to come with Power and Signes and lying Wonders yea to shew great Signes and Wonders to try whither we will and do heartily love his Son and the Truth Revealed to us by and concerning him that so such as love him not nor acquiesce in his Truth as already witnessed and confirmed might be deceived by him and go to destruction Matth. 24.22 23 24. 2 Thess 2.9 10 11 12. 5. That though the generality of these Miracles wrought of God were wrought by his servants and people yet he gave not to all his People either to have the sight of them or much less power to work them but onely to some few and in some Ages as he pleased So that in these additional Dispensations also both of Ordinances and Miracles God hath used his own liberty and there hath been both as to Persons Peoples and Ages great diversity But we have been large enough upon this Branch of the Distinction as to God's Dispensations Let us now proceed to his Operations in and upon Men in and with these his Dispensations CHAP. VIII Of Gods Operations and first of those of them that are in Mercy and Directly his SECT 1. That the Operations of God are many of them very secret and not to be known or discerned but by his Word concerning them and therefore to be soberly treated of GOds Operations in and with the Dispensations of his Truth and the means thereof are certainly very intricate secret and incomprehensible as to the manner of them and therefore also great sobriety is to be used in our assertions concerning them taking the word of Truth altogether for our guide therein yea it is better soberly hereabout to profess our weakness and ignorance than to be rash and presumptuous for though its evident by the Scriptures that God and his Spirit accompany the means he affords to men Gen. 6.3 whence that My spirit shall not always strive with man implying that during the day of his patience He is striving as it is also asserted in 1 Pet. 3.19 That Christ by his Spirit preached to the Spirits of men now in prison and in Prov. 9.3 That Wisdom cries with and as well as her maidens unto men to call them to
ESSAYS ABOUT General and Special GRACE By way of Distinction between or distinct Consideration of 1. The Object of Divine Faith or the Truth to be Preached to and believed by Men. And 2. Gods Purposes for dispensing And 3. His Dispensations of the said Truth and the Knowledge of it to men And 4. The Operations of God with it in men in the Dispensations of it By Jo. Horne late of Lin-Allhallows 2 Tim. 2.15 Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly Dividing the word of Truth Eccles 11.5 6. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit or how the bones do grow in the womb c Tolle liberum arbitrium non erit quod salvetur Tolle gratiam non erit unde salvatur opus hoc sine duobus effici nopotest uno ei quo fit altero cui vel in quo fit Deus Author est salutis liberum arbitrium tantum capax nec dare illam nisi Deus nec capere Valet nisi liberum arbitrium quod ergo a solo Deo soli datur libero arbitrio tam absque consensu esse non potest accipientis quam absque gratia dantis Bernard de Gra. lib. dâ—bit Deus non modo amans sed amor est solam amoris vicem requirit sidem quid ni ametur amans Id Serm. 83. Sup. Cant Prove all things hold fast that which is good London Printed for S. Walsall at the Heart and Bible on the West-side of the 〈…〉 THE PREFACE TO THE READER ZEnophon in his Second Book of Memorable things Records this Saying of Socrates to Entherus That it is not easie for any man to do such a work as for which he shall not be subject to blame For saith he It 's difficult for a man to do any work in which he shall be without Sin or fault and it 's difficult when a man doth any thing faultless not to meet with some unequal Judge that will dislike what â—s rightly done I cannot promise my â—elf freedome in what I have here done Good Reader upon either account For neither can I imagine â—hat in viewing and speaking of â—hings so high and mysterious there should be nothing in so much as I have written that might not have â—een far better spoken to or in which there may be nothing wrong though my weakness happily perceive not wherein Nor can I think that the World is grown so good and charitable and so void of its enmity to God and his goodness as that there are none in it who will pick quarrels against what is rightly done I confess the Greatness of the things treated on as the person and works of Christ the nature of the Truth the Faith Hope and Obedience of the Gospel the terrours of the Lord against evil doers the Purposes Dispensations and Operations of God are all of that nature and height and weight that each of them may deserve a Volume worthily to unfold them and require a far more able head and heart to discuss them then mine be and more labour and industry than I have bestowed or was able to bestow about them and on the other side that such is my weakness and want of exercise of senses to discern things that differ and of judgment rightly and orderly to express them that I may seem not to have followed the advice of Socrates given a little after the sayings above recited viz. Either to undertake such things as one can grapple with or forbear things that one cannot However I may fear that men of greater understandings will find some things defective and not sufficiently spoken to and cleared and other things too often repeated or too unorderly mentioned I am a man and a weak one too and therefore cannot rationally think it strange that humane Infirmities should be incident to me amongst which it is one to be subject to mistakes even sometimes an Homer as the Proverb says may catch a nap and acute Bernard yet sees not all things no great wonder in a long and tedious business to see one grow drousie and sometimes to nod besides the Truth lies as it were in the deep and is not so easily brought to Light I hope therefore that the Ingenuous Readers considering that of the Apostle James 3.1 2. That in many things we offend all Will be ready also to take his advice not to be many Masters that is not to be censorious but will take in good part what I have endeavoured and performed and will bear with the infirmities of my stile and manner of tractation which are extrinsick from the matters handled But from two sorts of men I can expect no such candid dealing that is to say 1. The proud and rich in conceit of themselves and their Learning and such as are seeking after the worldly Wisdome they I know will find no Savour in what I have written because nothing to satisfie their curiosity and please the daintiness of their finer Palates they will slight what I have written because I have not strewed the way of my Discourse with the flowers of quaint and smooth Rhetorications elegant Phrases and apt and witty Allusions nor fenced it with the Testimonies of the Ancient Doctors and Learned Writers nor given the Reader here and there the comfit of a pleasant story to quicken up his dull and tired Spirits and keep him from fainting in a word they will say Here is neither Artifice nor any polite learning the things they look for with the Ancient Grecians 1 Cor. 1.22 To whom I say had it been my design to hunt after applause that indeed had been my direct course to it Populo ut placerent quas fecisset fabulas Terent. especially had I turned aside from the Truth to witty fables for they are the things the people are too usually pleased with Yea had I sought honour with the Leaders of this Age my way had been to have quitted the Truth and shewed my self able to maintain the Ortho-Doct Opinions or at least to have adorned my discourse with a rich Coat for then it may be so accouter'd it might have taken some mens more wanton affections who would have courted it not for the Truth so much as for its ornaments like some that love the person for the gay clothing and so they might have given me their good word for a Scholar or man of Parts though yet some are so capricious upon the account of their dislike of the Truth that nothing will please them that is hearty for the Truth be it never so Elegant but even a Cyprian shall in contempt be Capricianus with them as Lactantius writes But my design being to find out and set forth the Truth and that for the helpfulness and profit of many and they of the meanner capacities and not for the Learned onely I took it to be best to be plain as believing that the Truth is then most beautiful to a
be taught if he teach he is to be heard but he that praises if he Erre confirms the Errour if he flatter he allures into Errour Let the Righteous smite me it shall be a favour if he reprove me it shall be an excellent oyl it shall not break my head Yet as I would not have my Reader Lib. 3. de Tim. proemio as he says stifly addicted to me So neither would I have my Corrector a Correptory Corrector so addicted to himself let him not love me more then the Faith let him not love himself more than the Truth as I say to him equalise not my Writings with the holy Scriptures but when thou findest in them what thou didst not believe believe without delay or doubting but in these Writings what thou art not sure of be not stiff in till thou understandest the certain so I say to him do not Correct my Writings either by thine own Opinion or out of contention but by the holy Scriptures and most Solid Reason In a Word what I intend thee for thy good and profit do not thou by thy curiosity or pertinancy turn to thine own hurt accept my service in what I have been able and have to my ability done rightly and let me have thy Prayers for further grace and ability to him that is the God of all grace in whom I bid thee Farewel remaining Lin Sept. 28th 1659. Thine to serve thee in the Truth of Christ to his ability John Horne THE CONTENTS This Treatise lays down and explicates a Distinction between the Object of Faith or Doctrine to be Preached to men And the Purposes of God about Dispensing the Knowledge thereof to men and his Dispensations of it accordingly to men and Operations with it in men in 12 Chapters Chapter I. THe Distinction propounded and something of the First Branch or Member considered in Three Sections p. 1 Sect. 1. The usefulness and needfulness of rightly distinguishing things that differ and particularly of the Distinction here propounded Ibid. Sect. 2. Of the Doctrine to be Preached to men its independency upon mens knowledge and faith of it its Vnity in its self and Truth to all men p. 4 Sect. 3. Two Conclusions drawn from the foresaid Considerations touching the Heathens and men dead and in Hell before Christ's Passion p. 6 Chap. II. Of the Doctrine or Faith of the Gospel both more implicitly and Generally and more explicitely and particularly in six sections Sect. 1. Of the faith of the Gospel more implicitely p. 9 Sect. 2. Of the Truths supposed and implyed in the Gospel yet not properly and by themselves Gospel p. 12 Sect. 3. Of Gospel-truths properly such touching God's affection to and provision of a Saviour for fallen Mankind his person suffering and exaltation p. 18 Sect. 4. Of God's love to fallen Man in glorifying his Son for him and of the compleatness and fitness of Christ for us as now in Heaven c. p. 23 Sect. 5. How Christ hath broken and is the breaker of the Head of the Serpent in what he hath done is become and is further to do for and to men p. 32 Sect. 6. How Christ is set forth in the Gospel as the fulfilling and fulfiller of the Promises and Prophecies that fore-went of him and of all the types and shadows p. 37 Chap. III. Of things further contained in the Gospel-Faith and thence observable as therein implyed and signifyed in four sections p. 44 Sect. 1. Of the hope of the Gospel Ibid. Sect. 2. Of the obedience and of the faith of the Gospel p. 53 Sect. 3. Of the Terrors of the Gospel p. 57 Sect. 4. A digression about the endlesness of the Punishment mentioned in the Gospel-Terrors p. 62 Chap. IV. Of some Distinctions signifyed and contained in the Doctrine of the Gospel in eight sections p. 79 Sect. 1. Of the two Adams the first and the last the first and the second Man p. 80 Sect. 2. Of two Covenants with respect to the two Adams p 85 Sect. 3. Of two kinds of Righteousness p. 88 Sect. 4. Of two kinds of Sins p. 90 Sect. 5. Of two General Judgments besides particular ones p. 93 Sect. 6. Of two Worlds the World that now is and the World to come p. 97 Sect. 7. Of two kinds of Life and two Deaths p. 100 Sect. 8. Of a twofold appearance of Christ and the proper Works of them and therein also of his comings and of his saving men p. 104 Chap. V. Enters upon the other Member of the Distinction and speaks of the Purposes of God in seven sections p. 111 Sect. 1. Of God's more General Purposes coincident with the Gospel-Doctrine and therein occasionally of God's permission p. 112 Sect. 2. That the Purposes of God concerning Mens Ends in particular as to their Salvation and Damnation are included in and result from the General Purposes p. 116 Sect. 3. That the great difference between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants spring from their different apprehensions of God's Purposes of Salvation and Damnation to particular persons and what the said apprehensions be p. 120 Sect. 4. 1 Sam. 2.25 and 2 Chron. 25.16 About Eli 's Sons and Amaziah considered as also about Act. 13.48 p. 126 Sect. 5. Of the distinction of God's Purposes into Respective and Irrespective p. 132 Sect. 6. Of the Reversibility or Irreversibility of God's Purposes p. 139 Sect. 7. Of God's Purposes as they respect the Dispensation of the means of Grace or truth of God to men that they might know and believe it p. 143 Chap. VI. Of God's Dispensations of the knowledge of himself and of his Truth to men in Nine sections p. 154 Sect. 1. Of the means or mediums made use of by God and vouchsafed to men for making known his Truth to them and leading them to Repentance viz. his Works and Words p. 155 Sect. 2. That the Dispensation of the Word or Revelation of his Mind by words though vouchsafed in all ages yet was neither so universal as that by his works nor was in all ageâ— the same but different to diverse persons p. 165 Sect. 3. Of the Dispensation of the knowledg of God and Christ by his words in Paradise and from thence to the Flood p. 171 Sect. 4. Of the Ages after the Flood till Moses p. 179 Sect. 5. Of the times of Moses and after to David p 187 Sect. 6. Of David 's time and the Ages that followed till Israels Captivity p. 190 Sect. 7. Of the times of the Prophets to the Restauration of the Temple and so on till the Coming of Christ in the Flesh p. 193 Sect. 8. Of the times of Christ his Incarnation and being made manifest to men and so to the Destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and so on p. 199 Sect. 9. That in the former Ages and so in all the Four Monarchies there was something of the Knowledge of God by his people and words vouchsafed to the Gentiles p. 207 Chap. VII Of the variety of
the Dispensations of the knowledge of God and his Truth in respect of certain added Appendages to his words in Ordinances and Miracles in sundry Ages in ten sections p. 220 Sect. 1. That God did diversly in sundry ages mind men of and confirm them in his Truth by his Ordinances and Miracles and therein what be the Ordinances and Miracles here to be treated of Ibid. Sect. 2. That Christ was and is the Foundation of all Ordinances appointed to Fallen Man for his worship of God and that Christ and the grace in him are the things mainly Witnessed to by and in them p. 2â—6 Sect. 3. Of the Ordinances appointed before Moses and first of Sacrifice and therein also of God's clothing man and of two several times before the Law in which the Gospel was revealed to all men p. 230 Sect. 4. Of Circumcision given to Abraham and his seed p. 239 Sect. 5. Of the Passover and how that Typedout Christ p. 247 Sect. 6. Of the Sabbaths Festivals Purifications and other Ordinances of the Tabernacle and Temple p. 256 Sect. 7. Of Baptism p. 270 Sect. 8. Of the Lords Supper p. 277 Sect. 9. Of the too general mistake of the mind of God in his Ordinances and the abuse of them in all ages 281 Sect. 10. Of Miracles confirming the Truth of God p. 291 Chap. VIII Of God's Operations and first of those that are in Mercy and directly his in seven sections p. 296 Sect. 1. That the operations of God are many of them very secret and not to be known or discerned by us but by his Word concerning them and therefore to be soberly treated of Ibid. Sect. 2. Of Gods merciful preventing Operations p. 300 Sect. 3. That God afforded them to the Gentiles also with the lesser means p. 304 Sect. 4. The same were afforded also to the Jews and those that have the greater means of Grace p. 309 Sect. 5. Of the concomitant or accompanying operations p. 314 Sect. 6. Of God's consequent or subsequent operations p. 317 Sect. 7. The said gracious operations otherwise distinguished into convincing converting renewing c. p. 320 Chap. IX Of the Operations in Wrath and Judgment Attributed to God as Hardning Binding Deceiving men c. Sect. 1. That the Scriptures attribute these kinds of operations to God yet we are to conceive of him in them and not to think him the Author of mens Sinnings Ibid. Sect. 2. That those operations as ascribed to God are Judiciary acts consequent both to God's preventing grace and mens abuse of it p. 338 Sect. 3. What that saying of the Apostle That God handens whom he will imports and how it is to be understood by us p. 343 Sect. 4. That God in hardning and blinding men doth it by degrees and with such mixture of mercy that till they be totally hardned there may be a remedy p. 357 Sect. 5. How or in what sense the foresaid operations are attributed to God and how he worketh in or unto them Mr. Mollers Judgment therein p. 362 Chap. X. Of the manner of God's working in men by his Grace preventing accompanying and following them in Four sections p. 371 Sect. 1. That God's gracious operations are according to the counsel of his own will and in some sense different and unlike Ibid. Sect. 2. That in this diversity of operation he observeth in some sense an Vniformity and a likeness with men generally p. 374 Sect. 3. That God's operations in men are neither properly Physical nor properly simply Moral but Supernatural having something like either in them 380 Sect. 4. That God so works in men that they also are rightly said to work sometimes the same things though with some formal difference between what is his and what their working p. 387 Chap. XI Some Scriptures considered whence some gather either that God works all things good and bad in men or so works all that 's good as to necessitate mens Willing and Working irresistibly and so as to confound mens Workings with God's therein in seven sections p. 393 Sect. 1. Phil. 2.12 13. Considered and that God's working in men the to will and to do doth not necessitate the working out exhorted to Ibid. Sect. 2. How God works by Exhortations and whether the working in men to will and to do is by and through the Exhortation to work out their Salvation p. 400 Sect. 3. The foresaid Scripture Phil. 2.12 13. briefly opened p. 406 Sect. 4. Isa 43.14 considered and what some collect therefrom p. 414 Sect. 5. Psal 110 3. considered and what some conclude from it p. 417 Sect. 6. 1 Cor. 4.7 considered and some mens Collections from it p. 420 Sect. 7. 1 Cor. 12.6 considered and what some argue from that in which also is touched Whether Sin be onely a privation p. 426 Chap. XII Concludes this Treatise by way of Conclusions Positions and Heads of Uses briefly laid down in Four Sections p. 432 Sect. 1. Some brief Conclusions drawn from the Premises in this distinction here opened p. Ibid Sect. 2. Twelve Positions concerning God's Grace and Mans Will in the Work of Conversion p. 441 Sect. 3. Some brief hints of Vses of the foregoing Treatise and first of the first member of the Distinction p. 449 Sect. 4. Brief hints of usefulness of the other Branch or Member about God's Purposes Dispensations and Operations and the Diversity in them p. 459 Laus Deo Pax gratia mihi a Deo a Domino nostro Jesu Christo Amen A Distinction between or a Distinct consideration of the Object of Divine Faith or Truth to be Preached unto Men and Believed by Men. The Dispensations and Divine purposes for dispensing the knowledge and benefits of the said Truth to Men and the operations of God with it in Men to whom it is dispensed CHAP. I. The Distinction propounded and something of the first member of it Considered SECT 1. The usefulness and needfulness of rightly distinguishing things that differ and particularly of the Distinction here propounded RIghtly to Distinguish between things that differ Qui bene distinguit bene docet is one property of a skilful Teacher commended by the Apostle to Timothy when he wills him rightly to divide the word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 A Point needful to be duly practised for as some by distinguishing too curiously things that differ not run themselves into many Errors and needless fruitless Disputes as the Papists by their distinction of Douleia and Latreia Service and Worship giving this to God and the other to his and their own Creatures And the Dominicans between their next and remote power So by not distinguishing things that do indeed differ and that too according to the difference between them others do run into many no less mistakes and great confusions as they that distinguish not between Christs coming in the weakness of the Flesh or his Spiritual manifestations of himself to mens hearts and consciences and his coming again Personally in the
Power and Glory of God Or the Effects of the one from the Effects of the other or between the Salvation wrought by Christ in his Personal Sufferings Death and Resurrection for all men as Sinners and lost without difference and that Salvation he now worketh for and in men which is with difference more generally for and on all men and more especially for on and in those that believe and the Salvation that he will work in his appearing again which shall be onely upon those that believe or that are graciously so reputed and accepted of him and the like Amongst other things I have often thought the Right Distinguishing between the Doctrine or Truth-praedicable or to be Preached to the World and to be believed by them for bringing them to God and the purposes and dispensations of God respecting the said Truth and his operations in and with it might be of good use if well and rightly explicated For I apprehend that the most material differences between those commonly called Remonstrants Arminians or Vniversalists and those that stile themselves and one another the Contra Remonstrants and Orthodox do mainly spring from a want of duly distinguishing the said particulars and of right apprehensions about them and by consequence that the right distinguishing between them and right apprehensions of them would expedite and deliver either the one or the other or both of them from such mistakes as cause and maintain the said differences and tend much to an happy accommodation and agreement in the Truth It being a very usual thing with them to argue either the Truth and extent of Gods love to and Christs Death for men from their apprehensions of the said Dispensations Purposes and Operations in the said Distinction considerable and to measure the former by the latter or on the contrary to measure the latter by the former and argue them therefrom which though righter than the other yet ought not but with good advisement to be done Now though I cannot arrogate to my self the Title of a skilful Teacher being as Agur said of himself More brutish than man and one that hath not the understanding of the man Prov. 30.2 3. Yet according to the Talent given me of God and through his gracious helpfulness believing every word of God to be true I have here endeavoured to say something hereabout if but to give occasion to such as deserve that Title to take it into their consideration and unfold it better SECT 2. Of the Doctrine to be Preached to men its independency upon mens Knowledge and Faith of it its Vnity in it self and Truth for all men THe Doctrine to be preached to and to be received by men in the Truth of God or his Word which is but one in it self for all true in it self and so fit to be declared to and believed by all whether they do actually know it or not believe it or not It s Truth and fitness to be Preached to them and believed by them depend not upon the Preaching and Believing of it but is Praecedaneous to and in order of Nature and time before them For it is not therefore true because declared or false because not but therefore its fit to be declared and may as revealed and given forth be declared because its true as therefore also its meet to be believed when where and as declared and not therefore true or untrue because it is believed or rejected even as a thing is not therefore visible because it is seen but because its visible therefore it may be seen Indeed the benefit the Doctrine brings to men and good its apt to effect in the believing heart is not effected or met with where rejected yet it is a Doctrine worthy to be believed and apt to effect such good before it be known or believe or whether it be known and believed or not I say it hath an intrinsecal aptitude in it self to do good independently upon its being known or believed though it cannot actually produce those effects but by being known and believed Even as a good Plaister hath in it self an aptitude to heal whether it be applied or no although it cannot actually heal unless applyed It gets no vertue by its application but the Sore to which it 's applyed gets vertue from it to the healing it which if not applyed it could not have had from it This Doctrine also is but one in its substance to or for All not one to one and another to another but the same Truth of God and Object of Divine Faith which holds forth the ground of Mens believing and Object to be believed on is one and the same for All though this our Truth hath in it many particular branches and Contents and all of this one Truth hath not been revealed at once to All nor so much of it to one as to another nor to some at all yet the same is revealable in it self to all and true for All. Though this our Truth hath not been at all times so much revealed or in such form as in some as not so much nor in such form before Christs appearing in the Flesh Suffering for us and Ascention from us as since as to say It was not true then nor might be so affirmed That Jesus Christ was already born of a Virgin had dyed and rose again c. But that which is true now and truly declared as done was then true and might have been declared in the future That it should in due time be done whether it was so declared or not yea it was true then that it was accepted by Christ to do and suffer as in due time he hath and it was with God as virtually though not actually done SECT 3. Two Conclusions drawn from the foresaid Considerations touching the Heathen and persons dead and in Hell before Christs Passion FRom what hath been considered we may gather these Two Conclusions 1. From the Independency of the Truth or Doctrine of God upon mens Knowledge of it and Faith of it it follows That it is no valid or sound Consequence for men to argue because the Heathen had not or in some parts have not the things of Christ Published to them and so had or have not the Knowledg or Faith of them therefore they are not true for or concerning them as that God sent Christ into the World to be the Saviour of them and that Christ hath now Suffered and dyed for them c. Seeing the truth of these things depend not upon their knowing or believing them no more than that they were made Righteous in Adam and sinned and fell in him or that Christ is Lord over them and shall raise and Judge them which are no more declared to them and known and believed by them then the other no more than that God loves no Infants or that Christ Dyed for or is the Saviour of none of them that die in Infancy because they have not the Knowledge and Faith of
Affection to consume us from off the Earth out of which he took us yea we were hereby made obnoxious to the Wrath of God upon our Souls and Bodies and exposed our selves to the Devils rage and malice to Tyranize over us 13. Man being fallen into this misery was altogether helpless 2 Sam. 14.14 both in respect of himself and of any or all other Creatures He could do nothing to recover himself from it or from any part of it Psal 49.6 7 8 9 10. nor could any one man help or redeem his Brother for tho God might as afterward he did Gal. 2.21 3.10 21. propound some holy and righteous Law to him yet could he not be made Righteous and live thereby Psal 40.7 8 9 10. For neither could any such Sacrifice be propounded to Man to offer to God as might countervail the demerit of his Sin and Offence Heb. 10.1 2 6. 7.19 neither could any work or service be done by him that might be acceptable to God Isa 64.6 Rom. 3.10 11 19 20. Psal 143.2 Rom. 5.12 18. Ephes 2.1 2. John 5.25 He being fallen under a double Death one by way of Penalty as rendring him dead at Law and another in himself and his own powers rendring him like a lifeless breathless stinking Carcase unable to do or think any thing holy spiritual and acceptable unto God which yet could he have done had been but his duty and could not satisfie for his former sin Mic. 6.6 7 8 Nor could any other creature be able to give a price sufficient for him being too low and finite to satisfie the justice of an infinite Majesty offended and goodness abused All these things the gospel-Gospel-Faith supposes and takes for granted and often intimately and sometimes occasionally expresly mentions and every of them is true in it self and concerns all men so as they may be propounded as Truths to them whither they be propounded or no and are meet being propounded to be believed being Truths whether they to whom they are propounded believe them or no. SECT 3. Of Gospel Truths properly such touching Gods Affection to and provision of a Saviour for fallen Mankind and of his Person and Sufferings for us and Exaltation from them BUt now these forementioned Truths are not Gospel or Glad tidings nay rather taken by themselves and were there nothing further of Truth to be declared to or for any men they would be a very terrible Doctrine to such men importing nothing but Ruine and Misery to them But Gods Doctrine which he hath ordered to be Preached to every Creature Mark 16.15 Luke 2.10 11. 1 Tim. 2.15 or in the whole Creation is Gospel or Glad-tidings tidings of great joy to all the people true and good for every one and therefore to be believed by every one to whom it is declared 1 Tim. 4.10 and worthy to be believed by every one to whom it is declarable according to Gods Form and Order containing other Truths yet which represent God the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe in and diligently seek him As these that follow 1. That God notwithstanding the great folly and Fall of Man 2 Sam. 14.14 Rom. 3.19 20 21 22. and his own Law and displeasure against him though such was his Righteousness Purity and Holiness such the stedfastness of his Word and such our sin sinfulness and filthiness that he could not admit us fellowship with himself approve justifie or delight in us but banished us from him Gen. 3.15 John 3.16 17. and condemn us to Death and misery yet such was his love and mercy as he did not yet cease to love us and be graciously affected toward us but even without our seeking it of him yea when we ran from him 1 Pet. 1.20 3.18 he devised and found out as upon fore-sight hereof he had fore-provided and purposed a way for our recovery that we might be saved from this so miserable a case and might in listning to him be brought again into his Presence 2. That that way devised by him Gen. 3.15 Gal. 4.4 5. 1 John 3.5 8. 4.9 10 1â— He also revealed and promised from the Beginning and hath now actually manifested to be The sending forth his own onely begotten Son made of a Woman and so the seed of the Woman and the delivering him up to suffer and dye for our Sins Rom. 4.25 1 Pet. 1.21 Heb. 5.9 7.25 Joh. 6.40 and so to ransome and make attonement for our Souls and the raising him up for our Justification and glorifying him in the Nature of Man for our Salvation to the utmost so as that whosoever believe in and obey him might not perish in that misery that either hath befaln him or further may but have Everlasting Life 3. That Jesus of Nazareth who was born of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1.26 27 31 32 35. Rom. 1.1 2 3 4. Luk. 2.1 2 3 6 7. Act. 2.22 23 24. Luk. 3.1 2 21.22 23 4 5 6 c. Matth. 27.18 16.15 16. Act. 9.20 John 20.31 1 Joh. 5 1-4.5 of the Stock and Lineage of David after the Flesh in the Town of Beth-lehem in the Land of Judah in the days of Augustus Caesar and lived and conversed among the Jews Preaching the Word of God his Father and working many glorious Miracles amongst them for the manifestation of Himself and confirmation of his Doctrine to them till they being moved with Envy did according to God's determinate counsel take him and Crucify him in the Days of Tiberius Caesar was and is that onely Begotten Son of God whom he had purposed and promised before and did then accordingly in the fullness of time raise up and send forth to be the Saviour and Deliverer of poor fallen Man 4. That Joh. 1.1 2 3 14 that Jesus of Nazareth was in the Beginning with God according to his Divine Being Heb. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. Philip. 2.6 7. The Word and God by whom God made all things in Heaven and Earth Visible and Invisible in the Form of God the brightness of his Glory and the express character of his Person before he was made man And that Eternal Word was in the fulness of time made Flesh a very and real Man Heb. 2.14 15 16. 2 Cor. 8.9 Isa 53.1 2 3. Rom. 8.3 Heb. 4.15 in the form of a Servant a poor and despicable man that had no worldly form or excellency amongst men to commend him to Men but was found in the likeness of sinful Flesh in all points tempted and subject to weaknesses as other men sin onely excepted to which low and despicable form out of grace and love to mankind and obedience to his Father he did willingly and readily yield and abase himself makeing himself who was infinitely rich to be poor for us Isa 1.14 Matth. 1.21 Act 20.28 1 Joh. 3.16 that we through his poverty might be
bring all Men even those that are in their Graves by Land or Sea before him and to render to every man according to their Works perfectly to free those that here believe on him and seek after God by him from all sin and sorrow from the malice of Satan and all his Instruments and from the Power and Dominion of Death and Grave and to give them a Glorious Kingdom and Inheritance with himself and to execute Vengeance upon the Devil and his Angels Eternally plaguing and destroying them and with them all that have here taken part with them against him and persisted therein till Reprobated by him these to go into everlasting Torments and the Righteous into everlasting happiness Matth. 25.31 to the End 9. That all this Infinite Power Isa 53.11 12. Phil. 2.9 10 11. Rom. 5.16 Heb. 9.14 15. 1 John 2.1.2 as Lord and Christ Prophet King Priest and Judge which dignity and power of Judge may also be referred to his Lordship or Kingship though I have here distinctly mentioned it by it self as Isa 33.22 And more observeably his Power to Forgive Sins and Rebellions against the goodness and grace of God extended by and through him both to the World and to his own Servants He hath obtained and acquired through the superabundancy of the vertues and merits of his Obedience Sufferings and Sacrifice above and beyond the demerit of Adam's Sin and of our Sin and Sinfulness as in and from him and the infinite acceptableness of them unto God For he being such and so glorious a Person his so loving and ready Obedience Psa 130.4 5 6 7. Isa 55.7 Acts 5.31 Rev. 5.11 12. and his so great Sufferings were infinitely well-pleasing unto God so as to obtain Plenteousness of Redemption even Forgiveness of Sins the grace going beyond the Offence which was but of one to Condemnation but the grace of many Offences to Justification yea and so as that both God and all his Angels and Holy Ones judge him worthy to receive All Power and Wisdom and Riches and Strength and Honour and Glory and Blessing as but a due Reward for his foresaid Obedience and Humiliation and the shame sorrow and Sufferings sustained therein To which add 10. That this Jesus Christ our Saviour Heb. 2.17 18. 3.1 2. 4.15 16. Isa 42.1 2 3. with Matth. 12.18 19. is also a most Merciful Compassionate and Faithful High Priest and Saviour one that can be touched with our Infirmities and succour those that are Tempted in their temptations and will not fail either his Father or us in any of all those things committed to him and required of him but will performe all the Counsel and Pleasure of his Will in what ever may concern us or our Salvation And all these also are true in themselves and of concernment to all whether they do know them or not believe them or not the Truth of them not depending upon Mens Knowledge and Faith of them but therefore they are worthy to be known and believed of Men because true for them and much good and benefit is to be met with in the hearty knowledge and belief of them SECT 5. How Christ hath broken and is the Breaker of the Head of the Serpent in what he hath done is become and is further to do for and to men BY what hath been hitherto said it may appear How Christ hath in himself Fundamentally broken the Head overturned the Plot and overthrown the Principality of Satan the Old Serpent over Man and how he is fitted further to break his Designes and destroy his Power against us For 1. Gen. 3.1 2. c. Whereas it was Satans design his Head and Plot to work an Everlasting Seperation between God and Man whom God hath made as an habitable part of his Earth for Wisdom Prov. 8.30 31. Jude 6.2 2 Pet. 2.4 Gen. 2.17 with 3.1 or his Son to delight in and to that purpose incited and drew Man to Sin against God by which He knew both by what he had proved from God for his own sin and by what he heard and knew was pronounced by God against Man in case of his sinning he should incur his displeasure to Death and so he thought he must have been for ever thrust out from God and seperated to Curse and Misery as himself is through what Christ hath done in his Death Sufferings and Sacrifice for Man in the Nature of Man Man on the contrary is more Exalted Honoured and brought nearer to God than before Gen. 3.21 Matth. 28.18 19.20 1 Cor. 15.45 Gen. 2.15 1 Pet. 3.21 Gen. 2 8 9 16 18. Col. 1.19 2.9 Psa 16.11 Gen. 1.26 27. Psal 8.3 4 5 6. Heb. 1.3 12.2 Ephes 1.20 21. Matth. 28.18 Phil. 2.10.11 Gen. 2.25 Rom. 3.23 John 17.4 5. Heb. 2.5 6 9. Phil. 3.21 Acts 26.13 Gen. 2.7 1 Cor. 15 45 47. John 5.21 25 28. Gen. 2.18 21 22 23. Eph. 5.25 26 27 30 31 32. for now he is become one with God as one of the persons of the glorious Trinity in the Person of Christ glorifyed and made a quickning Spirit for us Man had before a Paradise Man is now in Heaven on the Throne of God Man had all necessaries and delights in that Paradise and fellowship with God Man hath now all the delights and satisfactions of God being the habitation of the fulness of the glory of God all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him bodily Man had dominion over all the Visible Creatures Beasts of the Field Fowls of the Air and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the Sea Man is now upon God's Throne of Majesty and hath all power in Heaven and Earth given to him Angels Principallities and Powers even the Devils too put under and made subject to him Man had great glory and comliness in his Body and needed not to have been ashamed though Naked Man hath the glory of God upon him yea is the brightness of his glory and the express character of his Person is clothed with Majesty and Honour his brightness greater than that of the Sun Man was made a living Soul but Man is now a quickning Spirit able to transfuse Life into others even into the Dead Man had a Meet-help made him there Man had a Church and Spouse given him here of his Flesh and of his Bones for the Propogation of Children to him an holy Seed for him a people Espoused and brought to him Rom. 7.4 Gen. 1.26 Col. 1.14 Heb. 2.5 6 7 8 9 15. Rev. 20.1 2 3 10. who is raised from the Dead that they might bring forth Fruit unto God Man was made in the Image of God there Man is the Image of the Invisible God here So that herein the Head and Plot of the Old Serpent is perfectly broken in Christ He is so far from having Dominion over Man that now Man hath it over him for ever so as he can never more be able to rise up
against him Yea 2. His Design is broken for us men 1 Tim. 2.5 and 2 Tim. 1.10 even for Adam and all his Posterity inasmuch as through what Christ hath done and Suffered for us He hath so abolished Death the Death that by that Sin came upon us that it notwithstanding we may or might any man in his proper time during the Day of Grace Isa 55.5 6 7. Ezek. 33.11 2 Sam. 14.14 2 Pet. 3.9 1 Cor. 15.20 21. Rom. 5.18 John 5.28 29 25 11.25 26. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev. 20.12 be Saved and be brought back again to God in that Judgment and Death no man shall Everlastingly Perish but in a Second they that do Christ is the Resurrection and the Life out 〈◊〉 the First so speaking to the Dead in Spirit as to cause them to hear so as they may in hearing and listening to him Live And he will so speak to the Bodily Dead as that out of that Death All shall Live so as to be brought before him as their Soveraign Lord and Judge to be judged by him according as in their life-times they have accepted or rejected him So that notwithstanding their Sin Committed in Adam or their sinfulness thence contracted or the Death therefore ordered to them Prov. 1.22 23. Psal 95.7 8. Isa 45.22 55. 1 2 3 6 7. Rev. 22.17 Eccles 7.1 2 3 4 5. Psal 90.11 39. 4 5 6. John 5.24 Prov. 1.23 Rev. 22.17 2 Pet. 3.13 Rev. 22.3 4. any man in hearing the Voice of Christ as while it is called to day any man may Maugre all that Plot of Satan may be brought back to an happy Estate through Jesus Christ Yea this Death as now ordered through Jesus Christ affords exceeding great Motive and is of singular use to awaken men and provoke them to seek the Lord that they may live and being Justified by Christ as that is certainly to be met with in obeying his Voice any man may come to the injoyment of Fellowship with him in the restauration and glory of our Nature in him so as to have a better Paradise and Tree of Life a better Sabbath a better World even new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness with freedom from temptation and from danger of falling from it then ever Adam had or we in him 3. Yea 1 Pet. 5.8 Ephes 2.2 3. Rev. 20.3 Joh. 8.44 with ver 32 33 34 36. Rom. 10.11 12 c. Whereas Satan is yet busily Plotting though his Head be so broken in Christ as to his First Plot and the Jurisdiction got thereby seeking to draw particular persons into new Snares and to bring them to a new Condemnation by their personal voluntary and unnecessitated slightings and refusings of the Light and Truth or Voice of the Son of God even then when he is calling them and therein setting them free and moving them to listen and adhere to him and men are generally being weak in themselves and through the sweetness they feel Jam. 3.2 Joh. 3.19 20. 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Joh. 2.1 2. Rom. 5.16 Isa 53.12 Luk. 13.7 8 9. Isa 55.7 or fancy in their selfish sinful ways apt to listen to him and in many things we sin all Christ is herein Preached and represented as the Mediator of God and Men the Propitiation for the Sins of the World in the Superabundancy of the vertues of his Death and Sacrifice in which He infinitely out-did the Sin of Adam and its demerit by his Intercession pleading for and obtaining patience and forbearance for men and forgivness ready to be given them for such Sins also upon their letting them go and parting with them whence it s said Let the wicked forsake his ways Ezek. 33.16 and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turn to the Lord for he is gratious and to our God for he will multiply to pardon And in the day that a man turneth all his Iniquities shall be forgiven him none of them shall be mentioned unto him Psal 103. 3 4 6. And with the Lord is plenteousness of Redemption More then meerly to free from the old Score of Sin that came in upon our First account of our sinning in Adam So that he is represented by vertue of that his Mediation the Forgiver of other Sins also Joh. 3.18 5.24 1 Thess 1.9 10. 1 John 1.9 10. the Saviour and Deliverer from the Second Death the Wrath to come Having also Authority and Power and Commission to cleanse us from our unrighteousness we confessing our Sins before him and turning to him so that Iniquity shall not prevail upon us to bring us into Bondage again and so to pull upon on us the second Death Luke 13.8.9 25. Matt. 25.31.35 41. Rev. 20.10 c. which yet he also hath power to leave men to and for their Rebellions against his Grace to Sentence them to and execute upon them and therein to Destroy them for ever with the Devil and his Angels In which his Head shall be forever broken too both in himself and all his Seed as Plotting together against Christ the Seed of the Woman in himself and his Members so as never more to be able to rise up against them SECT 6. How Christ is set forth in the Gospel as the Fulfilling and Fulfiller of the Promises and Prophecies that fore-went of him and of all the Types and Shadows YET further to shew what a compleat Saviour Christ is and how compleat we are in him We may note That he is as the Gospel sets him forth The Accomplishment and the Accomplisher in their due time and way of all the other Prophecies and Promises concerning our Salvation Acts 13.32 33. 1 Cor. 1.20 Col. 2.16 Heb. 10.1 and the body and truth of all Types Figures and Representations of him mentioned in the Scriptures As He is 1. That Seed of Abraham Gen. 18.18 26. Matth. 1.1 2. and of Isaac and of Jacob in whom God Promised That all the families and nations of the earth should be blessed which is accomplished in him Acts 3.25.26 Gal. 3.8 1 Tim. 4.10 1 John 5.11 12. Matth. 22.4 5 8. Luk. 24.19 23 24. Dead and Risen for them and become the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe for God hath in him given us eternal life even to us men so as in having submitting to and receiving Christ in his Light and Truth we may have it Now in Eternal Life is included Remission of Sins Righteousness and all things And these are made ready for all so as any in turning at his Reproofs may and shall certainly receive them none excluded by him till they exclude themselves nor but for so doing Prov. 1.22 23 24. and 9.1 2 3 4 5 12. 2. He is the Shiloh or Peace-maker Gen. 49.10 Eph. 2.13 14 15 16 17. Isa 11.10 11. Rom. 15.6 10 11. Matth. 25.31 32. who hath made Peace by the Blood of his Cross and hath Preached Peace to
Mr. Moor Sen ' hath well observed Vers 22. and was the first that I have ever heard of in that observation said Man was now become like one of us as one of the persons in the Trinity as considered in Christ who had stept in and vertually was become Man and this to before Man was turned out of God's Presence Isa 28.16 Hab. 2.3 4. Heb. 10.37 Gen. 3.15 16 17 18 19. that so 〈◊〉 and men generally might have him Christ in the Faith and Knowledge oâ— him as a Foundation under his Feet to bear him up and as a Staff in his hanâ— for his support that he might not sink under any of his after Miseries Temptations Tryals or Deaths that were through him now ordered to him and to be grappled with and undergone by him Yea thence the goodness of God is to All and his tender Mercies upon aâ— his Works Psal 149.8 9 10 17. Col. 1.23 the Gospel Preached in every Creature under Heaven yea we may say in the very Devils in that they have not their will upon Man to do to him what they please but are abridged and bound up by him Psal 75.8 though by them aâ— by many men to it is not Preached much less it is Preached to them Yea thence his Judgments are full of mixture though often with much severity and hereafter so infinitely heavy SECT 2. Of Two Covenants with respect to the Two Adams 2. WIth these Two Adams we may find some hints of Two Covenants or Two kind of Laws that is to say With the First Adam a Covenant of Works both as to him and us viz. That if He keep perfectly with God and in nothing Sin'd or disobey'd him he should injoy the Earthy Paradise and the great goodness of God confer'd upon him in his Creation his Favour and Fellowship c. and transmit Righteousness Innocency and so the same Privileges with himself to his Seed who also walking in that their Righteousness and Innocency should have continued in the same favour but he Sinning and Falling all should be Lost and Condemned in him as the Event declared and as is signified in Rom. 5.12 15 16 18. He being set as it were to keep Sin out of the World And of this Nature in some respect is the Covenant or Law of Works that finds us all Sinners Now that the First Adam is Fallen though as given since Gal. 3.19 20 21. Rom. 7.10 it was given in the Hand of a Mediator as other of God's Dispensations and dealings now are and so to gracious ends Heb. 10.1 even to Life thâ— in a killing convincing way and with additions of Types and Shadows pointing to Christ which were not of the Essence of the Covenant or any part of it as pertaining to Adam considering in himself and as the Natural Root of 〈◊〉 All nor should have been in such a way given or with such additions had not the Mediator stept in That Covenant as with Adam requiring in him and from him in us all personal Gal. 3.10 perfect and uninterrupted obedience and cursing Man even all iâ— Adam in case of his sinning and any man in their persons had he stood that should in their persons have sinned as he did In the Second Adam a Covenant of Grace to us is made Though we may say it was a Covenant of Greater Works to and with Christ as to himself in comparison of which the Covenant with Adam was but as a Covenant of Grace in regard of the easiness of the things required of him above what was put upon and required of Christ the condition of it being as to him Heb. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. Psal 40.8 9 10. Isa 58.10 11 12. 42.6 7 8 9. 49.5 6 7 8 9. That he should be made Flesh Suffer and Dye for us bear out Sins dâ— be made a Curse for us and offer up himself a spotless Sacrifice unto God for us and thereupon he should in the Nature of men and for men he Lord and Christ and have the power of Life and Death â—e the Saviour of all Men and especially of theâ— that Believe have all men in his own dispose Saved out of their former Obligation 2 Sam. 23.5 Isa 49.7 55.4 to Perish and made now capable of further Salvation Life and Glory so as by and through him To which end He should be their Light and the Salvation of God to the ends of the Earth And through him there is this Covenant of Grace to and with Men firm and sure in him yea He the very bond of it given for a Covenant to the People and to be held forth to and by them Viz. That any of the Race of the Lost Fallen Adam as all are looking to God by him and Believing in and through him through the Light Truth and Grace extended by him shall be accepted of God justified and have all Grace Administred to them in and with Christ for their coming to Christ leading guiding and preservation in Christ unto Eternal Life Yea an Everlasting Kingdom to be given them with him and that in case they sin against God after their Believing yet not continuing in Sin upon confessing it on convincement and returning to God from it by him they shall be forgiven cleansed and healed and through Christs Mediation of the New Testament be yet preserved in the grace and favour of God to the injoyment of the Promised Inheritance to which He hath called them Heb. 9.15 1 John 1.9 SECT 3. Of two kinds of Righteousness 3. SUitable to these two Adams also we have signified to us a twofold Righteousness In the first was a created righteousness spotless and pure and such as should have been continued in a spotless obedience of works Eccles 7.29 and so to have been propagated to his posterity by him had he stood But this is now lost and according to it there is none righteous no not one In the second Adam is a perfect Righteousness too not only as to himself but also for us To and in himself he had a Divine Eternal and Essential Righteousness as he was God but besides that 1 Pet. 3.18 2.22 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 10.5 6 7 8 9 10. as the publick man he had and hath a perfect personal Righteousness standing in his performing what God required of him and perfectly fulfilling and accomplishing his will not only in his own personal conversation in the course of his life on earth but also and more especially in his bearing suffering and induring the Death and Curse imposed upon him to the Fathers utmost satisfaon testified in his taking him in the Resurrection from Prison and Judgement and exalting him to and at his own Right Hand His Obedience was his Righteousness and by his presenting himself as one that had so obediently performed his Fathers Will Rom. 5.18 19. 3.22 23 24. Jer. 23.6 1 Cor. 1.30 as a Lamb that was
rewarder of them that seek him out or diligently seek him the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe in him And to this the Scriptures bear witness telling us that therein even in the works of God God and his truth are held forth to men to their very Hearts and Consciences even that which is to be known of God his Being Power Eternity Goodness so as leading to repentance and to glorifie him as God and be thankful to him feel after him yea and so as affording argument and motive to trust in him in our miseries and dangers as may be seen Rom. 1.18 19 20 21 28. 2.4 5. Job 5.7 8 9. So that even they that have but them and what God by his Spirit is manifesting in men through them if they be not led to repentance by them and if they do not glorifie him as God and become thankful to him are without excuse which glorifying him as God must needs be to have such honourable apprehensions of him and affections towards him as become him according to the measure of the manifestation afforded by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their being without excuse must needs with reference to that signifie that they can plead no just excuse for their not so thinking of him and affecting him and so demeaning themselves towards him as becomes the Majesty and Goodness of God they cannot plead ignorance or want of sufficient power and grace afforded to have led them thereunto the things of God being not only outwardly set before them in his Works but also so shined into them as that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being considered or minded they may be evidently seen 'T is true they do not distinctly discover Christ as made man and suffering and dying for us but that glory goodness and mercy of God which by means of Christ is streamed forth more generally to men is in great measure manifested in them Joh. 1.1 2 3. Col. 1.16 17. Heb. 1.3 And the God they witness and lead to is Christ and God in him inasmuch as it is Christ and the Father in and by Christ who was the Creator Upholder and Orderer of them the heavens declare the glory of God his Greatness Power Majesty and Goodness c. and the Firmament sheweth his handy work who made them day to day teacheth knowledge and night to night uttereth Speech Psal 19.1 2. yea they declare that his name is near so as it may in some measure be seen known and understood of men Psal 75. 〈◊〉 All his Works praise commend and set him forth even him who is God o◠Saviour God in Jesus Christ in by and through whom he only ordere◠and disposeth of them Psal 145 1◠Now concerning this way of evidencing himself and truth let these thing◠further be minded 1. That this is an universal Medium of manifesting himself and truth to men both in respect of times and places in all ages and to all People and Nations he affordeth this discovery of himself as Psal 19.3 there is no Speech or Language where their voyce is not heard their lin◠is gone out into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world so as that by these Preachers or Declarers of his Name to be called upon by men it is truly said they have all heard Rom. 10.18 and upon whom doth not his light arise Job 25.3 in this Medium Christ the Word with the Father even that word that was made flesh is the true light lighting every man coming into the world Joh. 1.9 2. That it is not good to argue from what men perceive in and by them to what they speak or hold forth to men no more than its from a blind or purblind mans sight to the things presented by way of object to him they speak forth as much of God as any do rightly discern by them yea and more But all that they speak or signifie it to do not perceive or see what they signifie Something may and oft is set before men that they do not see and often more than they see who see something 1 Cor. 1.21 they set forth God in the wisdom of God though man in his wisdom discerns or knows or approves it not the light shines in the darkness Jo◠1.5 though the darkness in which it shines comprehends it not we may not say there is not so much held forth to all Gods Works as some wiser Philosophers and Poets see because all did not see so much as they though probably some see more and better but rather argue there was so much held forth to all because some did see so much to be held forth the difference was in the sight not in the object nay we that have more light see by that light that they testifie by way of interpretation and intimation of the Ransom and Mediation of Christ and sure they do so and did so always and to all since the sall else the light could not discover that they do so The Object is the same in it self in the light and in the dark in more light and in less though it is not so seen in the dark or in a less light as in a greater yea and the light is one in it self to a quicker and duller sight though a duller sight see not so well by it as a quicker 3. That much less are we to confound with the testimony of God in his Works or that his Works give of him the collections and conceptions of men which they have gathered from his Works in their corrupt wisdom while lifting up themselves in their thoughts and boasting themselves to be wise they have become fools and their foolish hearts were darkned in them Rom. 1.21 22 23. as the Apostle speaks plainly distinguishing between what God manifested by his Works to and in men and what they becoming vain in their imaginations and much more when for that vanity they were given up of God to a reprobate mind concluded from them and traditionally laid down for truth concerning him as about the plurality of Gods the acceptableness of Image-worship to him things clearly discovered to be false even by the light of God shining in those Works as by that Paul reproved them Act. 17.24 25 26 27. The Philosophers conceived and taught many things from what they see in Gods Works which yet his Works did not signifie to them even as many now do collect and gather many things from the words of God perverted by them and set up forms of faith and worship which yet were never therein taught by him 4. That without question God that is no respecter of persons Act. 10.34 Rom. 2.11 accepts all in every Nation who by such means as he affords them sincerely grope after him and seek him and therethrough are brought to fear him and work righteousness upon the account of and through Christ the Saviour of the World and Mediator of God and
men even before and though they attain not a distinct knowledge of him yea and for his sake passes by such infirmities and mixtures as through ignorance and weakness and the prevailing customs of places not seen by them to be evil may cleave to them they that by nature do the things contained in the Law or written Doctrine their uncircumcision shall be counted to them for circumcision and glory honour and peace shall be to every one that doth good not only to the Jew that had Instruction and the Law but to the Gentile also that was without Law and had not that Instruction the Jew had Rom. 2.7 9 10 11 14 26 27 28 29. and therefore are said to do it by nature not as corrupted but as prevented only with that goodness and truth of God manifested in men by and through his works without the written and vocal Instruction to the Jews superadded And of such as these probably our Saviour meant inclusively when he said Many shall come from the East Matth. 8.12 and from the West c. and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God when the Children of the Kingdom born and brought up in Gods Church and under the nature of his Instructions and Ordinances should be thrust out for though there can be no salvation but by Christ yet there may be salvation through him to them that distinctly hear not of him 〈◊〉 in the case of Infants dying in their â—fancy may be seen This then is oâ— Medium of Gods making known the Object of Divine Faith or his truth to meâ— in part with reference to their salvation 2. The other way is by his Word aâ— distinguished from that silent language of his Works an express speaking forth by intelligible and vocal sayings or visionary representations to mens Spirits the truths to be believed by men And this also he did and thus dispensed the knowledge of himself to men divers and sundry ways and at divers and several times Heb. 1.1 2. which dispensations as to the acts of dispensing both by Works and Words are to be distinquished from the thing or object dispensed that being but one in it self these very different and divers as in this latter way 1. To some he dispensed the knowledge of himself and truth in some measure by more immediate revelations of himself as to Adam in Paradise Gen. 2.16 Eâ—od 20. 17. 3.8 9. and to Moses and the People at Mount Sinai in the Wilderness but fully and most immediately to Jesus Christ 2. To some by Angels ministring the knowledge of God to them and that either waking as to Abraham Gen. 18.1 2 3. 22.11 15 16. Jacob Gen. 32.1 2. Moses Exod. 3. Zachary the Father of the Baptist Luke 1.9 10 11. Maâ—y the Mother of our Lord vers 28 30 and divers others or in dreams and visions as to Nathan Psal 89.19 Dan. 7. 8. 10. Joseph Matth. 1.20 2.12 and divers others 3. To some by his Spirit more secretly insinuating it self into their hearts with the knowledge of God as to the Prophets and Apostles more ganerally 2 Sam. 23.2 Ephes 3.5 4. In these last days by the personal appearance and vocal ministration of Jesus Christ himself both to his Disciples and to the World Heb. 1.1 2 3. 2 3. 5. To some he more mediately dispensed the knowledge of his Truth by the ministration of those to whom he had more immediately first declared it and that either 1. By their vocal preaching of it as by the preaching of the Prophets and Apostles to the People amongst whom they were sent 2 Pet. 3.2 3. Rom. 16.25 26. Epes 4.11 12. and so by the vocal Preaching of the Evangelists Pastors Teachers though but secondary Ministers of it amongst all which the Preaching of Jesus Christ our Lord in his personal ministration may be reckoned as prime and chief he being both a more or most immediate and also a mediate Revealer of it in divers respects Joh. 1.18 most immediate as the Eternal Word the Son of God in the Bosom of the Father mediate as he was also Man Matth. 4.17 and as the Manhood 〈◊〉 imployed in the making out the Wiâ— the Father brought down by the Woâ— 2. By their Writings the Scriptures 〈◊〉 Truth 2 Pet. 1.19 20 21. 3.2 3. 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. Joh. 5.39 indited by the instinct and direcâ— on of the Holy Ghost and left upon record for the instruction and helpfulneâ— of after ages also and of all people 〈◊〉 whom they are by providence ordered even such as to and amongst whom 〈◊〉 Prophets Apostles and the rest of thâ— heavenly Pen-men never vocally Preached Now this Preaching by Word â—ther as spoken or written added to 〈◊〉 former the works of God gives a moâ— distinct sound and signification to pâ—dull creatures and brings the knowledgâ— of God as to the declaration of it nearâ— to us yet speaks the same things that 〈◊〉 Works speak The Book of Ecclesiastes both agree to praise anâ— commend God to men Joh. 1.4 5 6 7 1 Cor. 1.21 22 23. Psal 145.9 10. anâ— to cry all flesh is grass and so in debasiâ— of man and all other things as to maâ— happiness that he may be made to enquiâ— after God look to and acquaint himseâ— with him and imbrace his grace and favation through Christ brought to them But the Revelation by word is and muâ— more as added to the former more foâ— and significant and speaks out more aâ— more distinctly what the other did bâ— darkly hint and signifie and thereforâ— also more is required and expected froâ— those which have this latter also thaâ— from those that had or have the former only SECT 2. That the Dispensation of the Word or Oracles of God was neither so Vniversal as that of his Works nor to all Ages the same as to clearness and fulness but different to divers Ages and to divers Persons in the same Ages QUestionless there hath been no Age of the World in which God did not reveal his Mind by his Words unto men Tit. 1.2 from the very Creation and Fall to this day we live in yea we may say there hath scarce been any person if any capable of understanding to whom the Word even Christ as the Light of the World hath not by some means and in some measure of his Light and Truth addrest himself as is signified Joh. 1.4 5 9. yet we may say that in many Ages the words of Truth Psal 147.19 20. Act. 14.16 17. or more express significations of his Mind by Law and Doctrine have not been generally afforded to all men nor in all Ages alike to any men It pleased God in that matter as we have seen in what we said of his purposes to discriminate some people from other Rom. 3.1 2. 9.3 4 9 〈…〉 Cant. 〈…〉 16. 〈…〉 7. 〈…〉 and Elect and Chuse some out from amongst the rest
Philopastor and others Recorded both in the Books of the Maccabees and alluded to in Heb. 11. Did they not more brightly sparkle forth the Knowledge of God and notifie him and his Truth professed by them amongst and unto their adverse Nations And as for the Roman Monarchy the Jews were soon known unto them sending to them and entring a League with them as in the Book of the Macchabees is also mentioned They had Wars also with Pompey who took their City Jerusalem their Kings Herod Aristobulus and others held their Kingdoms of them and the Jews and Romans had much converse upon many occasions they had their Synagogues dispersed up and down throughout their Dominions Under that Monarchy was Christ born lived and wrought his Miracles suffered dyed rose ascended sent abroad his Disciples into all Nations yea and beside their going abroad Pilate is said to have certified Tiberius of the Acts of Christ and his Famous Miracles and that Tiberius moved it to the Senate to receive him for a god as Tertullian in his Apology for the Christians Chap. 5. and 21. relates And the Jews having Synagogues all over there were Proselytes and fearers of God also scattered up and down the World as is clearly implyed Joh. 12.20 both by what is related of the Greeks that coming to Worship desired to see Jesus and more plainly by what is said Act. 2. Dr. Hammond on the places Act. 2.5 9 10 11. Of Jews devout men out of every Nation under Heaven abiding at Jerusalem at the feast of Pentecost Parthians Medes Elamites or Persians dwellers in Mesopotamia Judea Cappadocia Pontus Asia Phrygia Pamphidia Egypt and the parts about Lybia about Cyrene and strangers of Rome Jews and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians And in Act. 13.21 it 's said that Moses of old time hath in every City them that Preach him Act. 10.1 2. 11.19 20. 13.5.14.50 14.1 16.12 13 14. 17.1 10. 18.2 4 7 8 12 19. 19.8 28.17 c. being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day whence also so frequent mention of the Jews and of devout Men and Women worshippers and fearers of God where the Apostle went in his Travels to Preach the Gospel found by him before his Preaching to them So that it appears that in all Ages many of the Gentiles too had some rumors of the God of Israel and opportunities given them to enquire after and acquaint themselves with his Word Oracles and Worship To which we might add if we shall give credit thereto what is recorded of the Sybils and their Prophesies August also De Civitat Dei lib. 18. cap. 23. mentioned both by the ancient Christians and before them by Heathens as by Varro Cicero Virgil Aul. Gellius Amongst the Christians of the first Ages Justin Martyr mentions his sight of one of their places of Residâ—nce in his Exhortation to 〈◊〉 Gentiles and Lactantius is very large 〈◊〉 reciting divers of their Verses in whâ—â—â— they speak very distinctly of the Unity 〈◊〉 Oneness of God vanity of Idols of the coming of the Son of God his Birth of a Virgin his taking away Sin and every evil thing To say nothing â—f Hydaspes Trismegistus Orpheus and others mentiononed in Lactantius and Eusebius his Praepar Evaugel the Destruction of Rome the Resurrection of the Dead and the Great Judgment c. which whoso pleases may if they can Read him see more of in the Works or Writings of Lactantius especially in his Fourth and Seventh Books And indeed the fulness and clearness of the Testimony given to Christ in them as his being the Son of God and God his Healing and working Miracles by his Word his Sufferings and Death and Resurrection and the like hath caused many to suspect their Verses to have been framed by some Primitive Christians out of a Pious Fraud as they call it to draw in the Heathens more to Christ which to me seems an uncharitable thought of those first Christians abundantly spoken to by way of confutation by the Reverend Bistop Montague in his Acts and Monuments I should rather say with Austin Quisquis Alienigena De Civit. Dei lib. 18. cap. 47. c. If any Strangâ— that is not descended of Israel nor received by that People in the Canon of the Holy Scriptures is read to have Prophesied any thing of Christ he may be cited by us over and above not because there is need of him if he were not mentioned but because it is not easily believed that there were also in other Nations some Men to whom this Mystery was revealed and that they were carried out by a certain impulse to foretell it whether they themselves were partakers of the same Grace they spake of or were void of it or were taught it by evil Angels as we know they did profess Christ when he was present whom the Jews acknowledged not nor do I think that the Jews durst deny that some pertained to God besides the Israelites since the time that Esau being rejected Israel gan to propagate and encrease in the World Indeed there was no other people called the People of God properly but they but that there were certain Men Citizens of the Heavenly Countrey and pertaining to the true Israelites not by an Earthy but a Heavenly Society in other Nations also they cannot deny as in the Holy man Job c. Certain it is that the Sybils were made mention of as Prophetesses of great note amongst the Gentiles and their Writings sought for and laid up at Rome by the Senate before the time of Christ's birth what we read in Virgil as uttered by the Cumaean Sybil though applied by him to Augustus Cesar and his times savours of what might be said of them concerning Christ and can be applied to none but him for therein is mention made of Purging away our Sins bringing in Peace and Prosperity renewing the World into its Golden or Paradise Estate And the Acrosticks mentioned in Austin are to the same purpose the initial Letters thereof composing this sentence Jesus Christ the Son of God the Saviour and why might not the Lord reveal something of Christ to them and suffer them to utter it as well as to Balaam who though a false Prophet yet prophesied of Christ as is to be seen Numb 24.17 But enough is said before to shew the truth of our Assertion laid down in the title of this Section viz. That in all Ages and in the times of every of the four Monarchies of the World some Beams at least of the Revelation of God and his Truth as by Words and Oracles have shined forth to and amongst the Gentiles so as they have had some opportunities and advantages of hearing of them and seeking the knowledge of him by them The Summ and Conclusion of this Chapter is That though the Truth of God in it self practicable to men be but one and the same yet the Revelations Manife-stations and
Dispensations of it have been very divers and different some Persons have had nothing of it as to their knowledge and perception knowable to us as Infants dying in Infancy some have had only some darker significations of some things of it by the Works and Providences of God as many of the Heathen some have also had some rumour of the words of God revealed to and in his Churches and opportunities to seek it out and know it as there revealed as many of the Gentiles in all Ages Some have had it more directly in the words of it given to them to some more immediately for themselves and others to some more mediately by others onely as in all Ages amongst the Jews till after Christ's Ascension though in some Ages more darkly and in others more plainly yea and amongst the Churches of God and the holy Men themselves there is and hath been as we have noted diversity of Dispensations and Administrations And it is a certain Rule that as the Lord being good and upright teaches Sinners the way that they might Fear him Psal 25.8 9 12 13 14. Matt. 13.11 Prâ—â— 1.23 so he more especially and in further dispensations of his Truth teaches those that Fear him shews them his secret and makes known to them his Covenant opens to them the Mysteries of his Kingdom pouring out his holy Spirit upon them And this appears clearly as touching the Revelation or Dispensation of the knowledge of the Truth in the more direct and substantial ways of revealing it besides which we may observe that there were in several Ages certain appendages to the Revelation of it by Word or Oracle in and amongst his Churches though so as in the view and sight of the World in which also we may observe great diversity as we shall God-willing shew in the following Chapter CHAP. VII Of the variety of the Dispensations of the knowledge of God and his truth in respect of certain added Appendages to his Word in Ordinances and Miracles in sundry Ages SECT 1. That God did diversâ—y in sundry Ages mind Men of and confirm them in his Truth by his Ordinances and Miracles and therein what be the Ordinances and Miracles here to be treated of THat there were over and besides the General Works of God and the distinct Revelation of Christ by the Words and Oracles of God other additional means by which he furthered the knowledge of himself and of his good will to men amongst them partly by visible Acts and Rites enjoyned to Men to observe and practice in their worship of him and accordingly either more purely according to appointment or more â—orruptly in swerving from his apappointment practised by Men in their several Ages to instruct them in and â—â—ind them of his Truth otherwise revealed to them and these we call Ordinances and partly by visible Works of his own eâ—traordinarily wrought to ratiâ—â—e and confirm the Truth revealed which we call Miracles the Scriptures also every where do testifie which because they were added to the Words and Oracles of God aforesaid we do not make a distinct way of discovery of Truth but rather Appendages to that way of discovery of it by Words and Oracles rending to confirm it to and preserve it with them which though someâ—ing of them have occasionally been mentioned before yet because they require and deserve a more full consideration we shall here speak to more distinctly and yet as briefly and succinctly as with conVenience we may concerning which let this first be noted that it may be first stated what Ordinances and Miracles we have to speak of that I do not speak of them in the largest extent that those words will reach to as to say I do not by Ordinances mean all Rites and Acts of Worship practifed by any People for there were many Heathenish Rites instituted by evil men at the motion and inâ—inct of unclean and wicked Spirits such 〈◊〉 their Plays and Interludes their strewing of Beds and Purifications of their â—ies Sacrifices to Infernal Spirits their detestable and abominable Rites of Bacchus Ceres and others which can no way be within the compass of whâ— have to speak of those being Ordinanâ— of Satan and not of God Job 38.33 Jer. 31.35 36. 33.25 neither 〈◊〉 intend or shall I speak to all that 〈◊〉 called or were God's Ordinances 〈◊〉 we read of the Ordinances of Heaveâ— as for the rising and setting of the Sâ— the making Winter and Summer Seâ—time and Harvest Heb. 9.27 Arcturus and Pleiadâ— c. which belong to the works of God before spoken of Yea and Death is an Ordinance of God in a large sense since it is appointed for men to die but this 〈◊〉 not to be practised but submitted to and suffered by us Eph. 5.30 31. So Marriage too is an Ordinance of God and so was the Sabbath and the Tree of Life in Paradise before the fall And indeed Marriage â—cially the forming of the Woman out of the Man and bringing her to him at the first hath in it a very great and apt resemblance of the conjunction and communion of the two natures of God and Man in Christ and of Christ and his Church and so gives fit occasion of minding us of Christ's great love in descending to seâ— a Wife amongst men as Jacob of old whâ— went down into Syria Matth. 22.1 4. and for a Wiâ—â—â—ept Sheep both in his taking into unâ—on with himself the nature of Man espoâ—sing and wedding it as it were to the eternal word at the wedding whereâ—â— God also made a Feast Isa 25.6 7. the Feast of Fâ— things full of Marrow made for all People and set forth to us in the Gospel 〈◊〉 the fruit and consequent of that Royal union of our nature with God consummated in the Ascension of Christ into Heaven when the new married Bride as it were was taken home to his Fathers house and adorned and glorified with all the Majesty and Royalty of Heaven the Delicates of which Feast are pardon of Sins Peace with and liberty to God by Christ and welcome through him preached to us in the Gospel As also in his seeking for himself and by the Gospel and its Ordinances and by his Spirit with both espousing men in their particular Persons and Spirits and so the Church as the company of persons so espoused to himself The Marriage of whom with Christ God-man is to be consummated or accomplished at the coming of Christ again and Resurrection of the just when they shall be made partakers of the Glory of Christ and be as a new married Wife altogether brought home to Christ and God in Christ and be cloathed with his Majesty and Glory and be fed and satisfied for ever with his blessed presence and the consolation thereof But though this Ordinance of Marriage aptly minds us of and leads us to consider and press after the further understanding and enjoyment of these things yet it
being at first Instituted in Paradise before the promise of Christ and as now continued through Christ it being a civil Ordinancee or an Ordinance pertaining to the things of this life I do not take it here into conâ— ration but only those Ordinances of Goâ— which more directly were appointed 〈◊〉 and pertain to the Religious Worshipâ— him Out of which too I exclude tha◠〈◊〉 the Sabbath and that of the Tree of Life if it might be so called as instituteâ— and given in Paradise before the fall because before the promise of Christ and such as should have been had man nevâ— fallen nor Christ been sent forth for him That of that Tree of Life being now also expired and gone together with the integrity and innocency in which God made man The Sabbath as since 〈◊〉 newed through Christ or by him continued we shall in fit place take inâ— consideration And so only these Ordâ— nances which pertain to his worship and were since the fall injoyned by him to be observed are those we shall speak to Again by Miracles I mean not all the monstrous or unusual providences oâ— things that have happened in the world for there have been not only through Gods Providence many miscarriages as it were of nature but also through hiâ— permission and sufferance many greaâ— and stupendious things wrought by the power of evil Spirits for confirming the minds of Idolaters through Gods just and severe judgements in their impietieâ— which they having rejected the light of his truth had given themselves up to Such as the going or removing of certain mages which Aeneas is said to have â—rought from Troy and Ascanius to have hurried from Lavinium to Alba from which place it 's recorded in the Heathen Histories that they went twice of themâ—ves without any visible appearing hand of man to carry them Such also was that in Tarquinius Priseus his time that Actius Naevius the Augur cut a Whetstone in two with a Rasor and that one of the Vestal Virgins suspected for unchastity to clear her self carryed water from Tyber in a Seive and the like mentioned by Lyvy and out of him by Augustine de Civit. Dei lib. 10. cap. 16. which were all doubtless wrought by Diabolical power Matth. 24.24 2 Thess 2.9 10 11 12. As Magicians and Witches may be found by their help to do some such lying wonders to further their designs upon men as it was also foretold by our Saviour and his Apostles that Antichrist should do such things for hardning his followers that they might be damned that believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness But I shall speak only of those far greater certainer and more glorious Miracles wrought of God for the confirmation of the truth of his Doctrine And first I shall begin with his Ordinances SECT 2. That Christ was and is the foundation all Ordinances appointed to fallen 〈◊〉 for his Worship of God and that Châ— and the grace in him are the thâ— mainly witnessed to by them LEt me say this in general of all these Ordinances of God which he haâ— given to man since his fall that Châ— was and is both the foundation of them and the matter chiefly signified and 〈◊〉 forth in and by them they stood and stand upon Christ and all look and poâ— towards or unto Christ like the Cheâ—bims of old that stood upon the Mâ— Seat and looked toward it figuring the Angels peeping down into that grâ— mysterie figured by it 2. Pet. 1.12 Those Ordinaâ—ces mentioned above as given in Parâ—dise before the fall might be some resemblance too of Christ either as he was the word and should have been the 〈◊〉 and life of man as so had he stood 〈◊〉 else as he was in the Divine foreknowledâ— of God to come in the flesh for fallâ— man but certainly they were not foundâ— upon any promise of Christ to come anâ— suffer for us man as then not having sinnâ— Nor were they therefore ordained of God to mind us of him and stir us up to loâ— and wait for him but they were appoinâ— to other ends and uses as the Sabbath 〈◊〉 mans rest from his labours and to miâ— him of Gods resting therein from all 〈◊〉 works and to give him a more devoted opportunity to contemplate the truth and works of God in and to mind him of the more blessed rest he should attain in obeying him The tree of life was for preâ—ving the life of man immortal and free from Diseases and the woman for the comfort society and multiplacation of mankind But the Ordinances given to sinful fallen mankind instituted as external means for or ways of our approaching to God and entring or holding communion with him must needs stand upâ—â— Christ either first as promised or else also as actually come in the flesh for we could not be in Covenant or have Communion with God having sinned and being therefore sentenced to death accurâ—ed and banished from his presence but through a Mediator and therefore always appointed for us thereunto must needs have dependance on him and so both witness of and lead us to him If than had stood in his innocency doubtless he should have worshipped God and that not only inwardly in his heart but also outwardly in bodily actions but sure those should have been more simple and such as in which the Power Wisdom Goodness of God his Maker should have been acknowledged and his blessings sought as in Praisings of him â—hansgivings Invocations c. in which also he might have been in the power of God and his Word and Spirit the immediate Offerer and Priest himself aâ— should not have had need of a Mediatoâ— but being fallen the case was and is altered Now no access or acceptance bâ— by another a person holy and harmlâ— in himself and that makes or hath madâ— peace and attonement for us and hath thereby power and authority to present our suits and services and to be our Righteousness and therefore also it was good and meet that we should in all Ordinances have thereof some apt signification and remembrance Verily the promises of Christ as the seed of the woman to bruise the head of the Serpent and as the Seed of Abraham to bring in blessing to all the Nations and Families of the Earth or rather Christ as so promised was the ground and foundation of those Ordinances appointed in those first Ages before his coming And the exhibition and actual appearance of him the ground and basis of those we have since so as all stand upon his said coming and the things accomplished therein by him and witness to him and to his said coming only differently according to the different times and dispensations of the knowledge of his coming those that were before his coming represented him as then yet to come and 〈◊〉 one that should in his coming makâ— attonement for us by his blood and therefore had something in them generally of blood-shedding but
in his Second Appearing according to that of our Saviour Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give 〈◊〉 rest And there remaineth yet a Rest for the People of God and so Christ is called too the Rest wherewith the weary should be made to Rest And by the Apostle Christ is said to be the substance or body of the Sabbaths Col. 2.16 But more particularly The Seventh-days Sabbath was appointed to be a Sign between the Lord and the Children of Israel for ever That it is the Lord that doth Sanctifie them as Exod. 31 13 14 17. And so it might signifie and be a Sign that in and by ceasing from all our Workings and Labours to get Life and Righteousness Rom. 4.5 Act. 26.18 1 Cor. 1.30 to and by our selves and in attending to Christ and God in Christ so God would sanctify us according to that To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the Ungodly 〈◊〉 Faith is imputed to him for Righteousness And Sanctified says Christ by faith that is in me And Christ is made 〈◊〉 us of God Sanctification as if he should say The Sabbath I injoyn you as a perpernal Covenant to signifie to you and instruct you That you are not you own Sanctifyers or Sanctified by your own Works and Labours but by me in Christ your resting place in a quiet ceasing from your own Thoughts and Words and Works and resting in and upon Christ I shall ye be holy to me Isa 58.13 2. The Anoual or Yearly Sabbath I â—all that day of Expiation 1 Levit. 16.31 23.27 28 31 32. the tenth Day of the seventh Month in which besides their resting from their labours they were all of them to afflict their Souls and Fast and the High Priest was by Sacrifice and by entning into the Holy of Holios with the bloud of the Sacrifice to make an atonement for himself and for all the People and to lay their Sins upon a Scape-Goat to be carried by him into a desert place The most lively and clear â—ype of Christ the great High Priest and the Atonement made by him for all men by his own bloud and sufferings first endured by him and then in the vertues of them presented before the Father in Heaven for the taking away our Sins there that so mercy might be extended by him to us Both the Bullock for a Sin-offering for Aaron and the Goats for the People signified Christ bearing and suffering for the sins of those that are Priests to God the Israel of God our Sins and for the Sins of the People even of the whole World 1 Joh. 2.2 the Goat that was slain a Type of him dying for all mâ— and bearing their Sins in his own Bâ— on the Tree and the Scape Goat 〈◊〉 was sent away having the Sins of 〈◊〉 Congregation confessed upon him another Type of Christ removing and carrying away our Sins by the vertues of his Sacrifice and remitting them to the World so as not to impute to them or charge them upon them Yet so as if any man rested not on that day 2 Cor. 5.19 21. and afflicted 〈◊〉 his Soul he was cut off from his People deprived of the benefit of that geners Atonement or Expiation Lev. 23.29 30. as signifying that the way for men to enjoy the beneâ—t of the general Atonement or Purgation of Sins made by Christ Act. 10.43 13.38 39 40. 1. Joh. 1.8 9 10. is to own and confess their Sins and be afflicted for them in the sense and acknowledgment 〈◊〉 them and to rest upon and believe in him otherwise they must perish Indeed there was in this as in all other Types many differences between the Type and the Truth by reason of the imperfection of the Types and perfectionâ— the Truth not to be reached fully by them here the day the Priest the Sacrifice weâ— different things but all pointed out Chriâ— here the High Priest first offered for 〈◊〉 own sins and then for the Sins of 〈◊〉 People But Christ had no Sins properâ— his own none as a Priest for he knâ— or did no sin Heb. 7.26 27. neither was guile foundâ— his mouth He was holy harmless undedefiled separated from sinners made 〈◊〉 â—han the Heavens Who needed not to do 〈◊〉 those Priests did daily to offer first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people But this the hithermost the offering for the Sins of the People he did at once or what sins might in any sence be called his as imputed to him and owned by him and so undertaken to be satisfied for and removed as the sin of Adam and all as in him and what naturally and necessarily springs up therefrom for which he in the first place and most properly undertook to ransom men from the judgment due to them or also the sins of his Members as such that are owned by him as parts of himself the sins of Believers for these and for sins of the People sins of another nature committed willingly by Men in their own persons against the Grace and goodness of God extended to them through him Rom. 5.14 sins after the similitude of Adam's transgression that he might obtain power to forgive them also Rom. 5.18 for all these he did offer up himself once so as that by that one Offering he hath both obtained a â—ease of that first Judgment in which all stood condemned so as no man shall perish therein and he hath obtained power to forgive those other offences after the similitude of Adam's transgression upon their confession of and turning from them Yea Heb. 10.14 he hath for ever perâ—ed the sanctified ones provided them 〈◊〉 a perfect purgation so as there needs no more Sacrifice for sin to their perfeâ— saving Yea so perfect was that his one Offering that there-through he haâ— obtained eternal redemption power of forgiving sins and setting free from Sâ— and Death for ever and therefore stand not to offer any more but is gone into Heaven it self there to appear in the presence of God for us and having as it were sprinkled his Bloud upon the Mercy-seat appearing in Heaven as a Lamb that was slain he is set down on the Right hand of God Rev. 5.6 expecting till all his Foes be made his footstool Heb. 9.10 11 12 25 26. and 10.10 11 12 13 14. Indeed if any man refuse now in the day of Grace and Atonement to own himself the Sinner and fall down before God to seek and accept his pardon in Christ he goes without its benefit and is cut off from the Congregation for which yet the Atonement was made This indeed belongs to the Ordinance of Sacrificing yet as appropriated to such a peculiar day and joyned with this appointment of rest I think it falls fitly to be spoken to amongst the Sabbaths enjoyned them 3. Their Seventh year Sabbath was appointed for rest to the Land
men by their outward demeanours and zeal for Ordinances â—dge themselves God's peculiar Portion 〈◊〉 well as the Pharisees of old and are â—ot these the things about which they â—wrangle and Fight and run into Divisions and Factions And are not the fruits of this misplaced Zeal high conceits of Mens selves despising of others and banding against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ against the gracious good will of God to Men Instead of Preaching of which 〈◊〉 all that they might see and believe â—nd be renewed by it and of making all â—en see what is the fellowship of the â—ystery calling and inviting all to â—ait upon God in Christ for the knowledge of Himself in his ways and Ordiances Do they not deny both the Doâ—ine of his Grace and his Ordinances â—nessing it to all that are not so regulated as their Traditions exact And thâ— same folly and deceit is in mens Zeal John 8.32 for and knowing themselves by Opinionâ— of Truth or Contentious for themâ— though the Truth indeed is earnestly 〈◊〉 be contended for against all that would corrupt it because that 's it which being indeed known frees and saves men when men wrest in their Acts about Truth and much more in their Opinâ—ons which are not Truth and reject the love of the Truth by which they should be Saved so as they are not Renewed and Saved by it All their Zeal Contention and Acting will be but in vain to them 〈◊〉 they live yet in the Flesh as others tâ— that spend their Strength and Zeal abouâ— outward Observations The ground 〈◊〉 all which mistaken Zeal is the Heart blindness about and Enmity against thâ— grace of God in Christ and desire to havâ— their rejoycing in themselves yea 〈◊〉 Natural desire to be as God not in conformity to him and his will in Christ but to be our own Saviours and to 〈◊〉 great in our own and others Eyes whicâ— things the Carnal Eye and Heart coâ—ceives it may attain to in its earnest preâ— after and observing outward Acts of â—ligion and Worship they being also mâ— obvious to the Carnal Eye and being 〈◊〉 esteem too because of the Name of Gâ— upon them and godliness supposedly pâ—ced in them whence the power of gâ—liness the Cross of Christ Crucifying 〈◊〉 â—o our selves and the World and the World to us it sees no beauty Rom. 2.29 nor finds â—o relish in it being of that Nature as wholly to lead a man out of himself â—o depend upon God in Christ and â—ory in him laying by and making noâ—ing of Man nor doth it render him â—orious to the World as Zeal for outward matters doth as the Apostle signiâ—es Rom. 2.29 He is a Jew who is one â—wardly and Circumcision is that of the â—eart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of men but of God â—plying That the Circumcision and 〈◊〉 the Religion or Worship that is in the outward is respected or praised by Men which the Natural Self-loving Spiâ—t likes or however to find the Life of â—s own hands that it may have something â—hereof to glory in it self Not but that â—he Ordinances of God and Christ are diâ—ently to be observed but in their place â—ot as the Foundation of the Building but â—s things to be Built thereupon and helps â—r the more close cleaving to it Neither â—ey nor our observations of them are 〈◊〉 be put in the place and stead of Christ 〈◊〉 whole or in part but to be referred 〈◊〉 Christ and he to be eyed in them 〈◊〉 the substance and end of them thence â—at of our Saviour these things ought ye 〈◊〉 have done but not to leave the other â—done Matth. 23.23 But as men too commonly look â—pon them and use them they are endeavouring to heal themselves by their Acts and Exercises about them and make themselves Righteous by them seeking Righteousness as it were by Works Making Christ in effect nothing but an injoyner and a rewarder of such works Rom. 9.31 32 33. 10.2 3. or at most also a mender and maker up of Mens defects in their works setting up those Acts and Works of theirs instead of the Faith of Christ which they should live by yea and their supposed Acts of Faith are too often nothing but a kind of work of theirs a believing through works that is to say to which they are animated and strengthned through the sight oâ— conceit of some good things done by them or found in them not a believing through grace as theirs in Act. 18.27 That is to say begot and sprung up through the hearing and receit of the Free Grace of God to Mankind and so to themselves as and while Sinners without any good thing found in them to difference them from others and give boldness to them to believe in him whence they are the Children of the Bond-woman born of and living in their Works Frames irregulatities and Observances c. And not of the Free-woman the Free-grace and love of God to Mankind and by Christ Jesus and no marvel then if what they have their Birth and Life in they be also Principally Zealous and Contentious for turning that which was appointed as a means of their welfare into a snare to themselves and others and what in their right place was a Table upon which Christ and his â—race was set into a Trap while they take them for their Meat But I shall no further digress about this much to be bewailed Mistake but proceed to the other Branch Of God's Witnessing to his Truth by Miracles and so conclude this Chapter also SECT 10. Of Miracles confirming the Truths of God MIracles I call those Works and Effects of the power of God which are beyond or contrary to the ordinary course of his Providences in which God â—ath at any time more expresly and signally Evidenced his Presence with his People and born Witness to his Truth with them Of which 1. Some were onely signs for Unbelievers to draw them to believe the Truth without any Figure of the thing to be believed Such were the mighty things wrought by Moses before Pharaoh and he Aegyptians and many things wrought â—y Elias and Elisha and those mentioned 〈◊〉 Dan. 3. 6. and the generality of those â—ings wrought by Christs Apostles 2. Others had in them something Tyâ—al or Figurative of Christ and the grace 〈◊〉 him such was the healing the Israelites â—ng with Fiery Serpents by the Brazen â—pent And the deliverance of Jonah 〈◊〉 the Whales belly a signification of the â—th and Resurrection of Christ Such also I conceive Numb 21.9 10. with Joh. 3.14 15. Joh. 1.17 with Matth. 16.4 Joh. 9.7 Joh. 20.31 Act. 2.22 was the curing of Naamans Leprosie by his washing in Jordan 2 King 5. Christs turning Water into Wine at the Wedding Joh. 2. And the opening the Eyes of the man born Blind by the Pool of Siloam which is by Interpretation Sent. Yea the most of
Christ yea and Christ promised his Spiritual presence with his Servants in their faithful Ministration always to the end of the World Matth. 28.20 Yet it is truly said too That as God hath his way in the Seas and his path in the great deep where none can trace him so his footsteps in his operations are not known Psal 77.19 That of Solomon in Eccles 11.5 being true where having exhorted men to disperse or scatter abroad their gifts or abilities either in outward things as riches for the relief of the Poor the bread that perishes or the word and knowledge of God the bread that endures to everlasting Life though it be as upon the Waters through difficulties and with unlikeliness as to our sense and reason of reaping any fruit of it as also upon many having used Arguments thereto both from the future recompence of Reward or proof of fruit brought forth to God thereby after many days thou shalt find it and from the uncertainty of the opportunity for doing good requiring more diligence in doing it Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth And from the manner of other things 〈◊〉 which God teaches us If the Clouds 〈◊〉 full of rain they empty themselves upon the earth And men that have gifts of knowledg and understanding are compared to Clouds full of Rain as men that seem to be some body and are no body but boast of a false gift are like to Clouds and Wind without Rain Prov. 25.14 And from the fixedness of mens states after death they are like Trees that lye as they fall and having warned of consulting with carnal Reason flesh and blood in imploying our Talents or of minding and poring upon things that may discourage us He that observes the wind shall not sow and he that regards the clouds shall not reap He lays down this following Aphorism or Assertion answering to a secret discouragement of our not seeing or perceiving any good done by out dispensing our Gifts As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit or Wind nor how the bones are or grow in the Womb of her that is with Child◠even so thou knowest not the Works of God who maketh all And therefore counsells In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening with-hold not thine hand for thou knowest not which shall prosper or be right either this or that or whither they shall be both alike good By all which and especially by that following Verse it appears to me that in the Fifth Verse forementioned he speaks of God's Workings in and with the Word dispensed that they are as secret hidden and unknowable so as to comprehend fathom and declare punctually every thing therein as it is to know the way of the wind or growing of the bones in the womb of a woman with Child To which agrees that of our Saviour Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound of it but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit And that in Mark 4.26 So is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast Seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the Seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how for the earth bringeth forth fruit of her self c. Such knowledge then is too wonderful for man to attain and comprehend and therefore we have need of sobriety lest we rashly puft up with a fleshly mind as thinking our selves by our wit and parts and sciences sufficient to dive to the bottom of this depth pry into things that we have not seen too secret and deep for us Surely it may admonish us not to be peremptory in our thoughts about them that may clash with his Revealed Doctrine the Gospel-truth which is certainly to be believed as truth by us and not upon presumptions of our knowing the abstruse Secrets of Gods knowing willing and working in men to be contradicted by our conceptions Yet some things with sobriety as the Scriptures of truth instruct and inform us we may consider and conceive and so holding us close to that Clue or Thread let us consider them in 1. The Distinct kinds of operations Attributed to God 2. The manner of his Working in those kinds of operations SECT 2. Of Gods merciful Operations in men by his Grace preventing them or his preventing Operations KInds of Gods Operations or Workings in Men in the Scriptures Attributed to him are more generally Two for they are such as are either more directly and properly God's and so Attributed to him as the operations of his mercy towards men or such as are not altogether or not always so properly God's though after some sort Attributed to him as the operation of his Wrath or his hardning operations 1. The operations of God in grace and mercy are such as his mercy to men leads him to effect and work in them by his Power and Spirit in and with the means afforded for the inlightning softning converting and leading men to himself Though its true he is in some sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gracious in all his works Psal 145.17 Either to those he works in and upon or to others whose good and glory he makes them subservient to Psal 136 1◠18 19. As he slew mighty Kings for his mercy endureth for ever Og the King of Bashan for his mercy endureth for ever c. But in this Distinction we intend by gracious operations or operations in mercy operations of the first so such as directly tend to the good and welfare of those in whom they are And so he works 1. By way of prevention of men in and with his gracious means and manifestations of himself to them vouchsafed them while altogether in themselves dead blind ignorant helpless and before they know or can by themselves know or do any thing that is good And so generally the operations wherewith he prevents men capacitating men for the good to which he calls and moves them such as Christs first inlightnings of men preventing them with his light truth goodness and therein giving them capacity to see them and so speaking to them in his Calls as to give them a capacity of hearing him though otherwise deaf and dead in themselves and then in that capacity of seeing and hearing he requires them to see and hear that is Exercise those capacities and abilities brought to them by him Of which we read Isa 42.18 19. Isa 42. Hear ye deaf and look ye blind that ye may see And Joh. 5.25 The deaf hear the voice of the Son of Man And they that hear that is listen or exercise the hearing faculty given them by him in his preventing them do live this is Christs standing at the door of mens hearts and knocking so as men may hear upon which he promises That if any man hear
and ground and matter of Hope to beget them to God and nourish them up in God and what to require of them for Obedience and with what Arguments in part to provoke them thereto and deter them from Sin and Disobedience And Vse 4 4. It discovers and reproves many false and evil Opinions men have of God and Christ and Traditions and Documents of men too commonly preached for Truths as if God had only sent his Son for a part of mankind personally fore-purposed to eternal life and either made the rest to destroy them or left them in the fall of Adam without remedy sufficient to save them Principles tending to beget evil thoughts of God in the hearts of men and to make them give him the lye and throw away the foundation of Repentance and Faith and Hope and of Baptism and all Ordinances and Duties that he hath laid for them and sets forth to them and either to live carelesly and desperately as if sure already either of salvation or damnation inevitably or to establish to themselves a righteousness of their own and build upon foundations of Frames and Qualifications in themselves which are sandy and slippery and not of God's laying As also it reproves that evil way of too many Preachers who laying aside God's coner stone and foundation and neither daring to believe themselves nor hold forth to others the good will of God testified in the Gift and Death of his Son for all the true and right and clear bottom foundation of and medium for begetting all right Repentance Faith Hope Love and Obedience do teach men to lay such frames and conceipts of them for their bottom foundation of believing the Gospel And for the Vision of all the Rest wherewith the God would have the wearied Soul to rest and be refreshed and the foundation upon which all Precepts Reproofs Consolations c. are to be laid and by it supported for or instead hereof I say they lay Precept upon Precept Precept upon Precept Line upon Line Line upon Line here a little and there a little to mens destruction and making them have their fear towards God spring from and be ordered by the precepts of men bidding them believe repent hope love God and giving them directions and grounds of their own for so doing when they have taken away or made doubtful God's sure and certain ground for them even the Gift and Death of his Son and the Grace in his Son for them making the people also believe and look upon that as God's gracious will towards them which indeed was the false Prophets sin and God's judgment upon them as may be seen Isa 28.9 10 11 12 13 16. and 29.9 10 11 12 13. Many more evil Principles and Practices the Gospel-Doctrine reproves but this in brief from the first Branch of the Distinction leaving the rest to judicious Observation SECT 4. Brief Hints of Vsefulness from the other Branch about God's Purposes Dispensations and Operations and the diversity in them WHat we have noted about God's various Purposes Distributions and Operations may be also of good use upon divers accounts As Vse 1 First To stir us up to adore the manifold Wisdom and unsearcheable Counsels of God and with sobriety to acquiesce in what he hath revealed as being certain and sure Revelations of them and what was in them as also to acquiesce and rest in the equity and righteousness of God in all he saith and doth believed by us even in things we cannot fathom Vse 2 2. To admonish us not to judge of the Truth of the Gospel by what we see of the variety of God's Dispensations and Receipts of his Operations either with our selves or others seeing that the truth of the Gospel neither dependeth on them nor may be measured by them but to believe as Abraham did upon the Authority of God whose it is according to what is spoken and as the Scripture hath said Gal. 5.22 that so we may experience the Operations of God in our selves therethrough both towards God our selves and others such as the truth believed will work in us in all Godliness Sobriety Righteousness Peace Joy c. Rom. 4.17 Joh. 7.37.3 Vse 3 3. To admire and bless God for his more abundant bounty goodness and manifestations of his love and mercy in his Dispensations to us than to many other Nations and to take heed to make a right use and improvement thereof So as 1. Not to judge our selves thereby justified or accepted with God more than they because we have more for that is no good ground for so judging as appears Rom. 3.1 9 10 19. 2. Nor condemning and despising them as if because they have less therefore they are rejected of God and no hope of their salvation for neither is that true as hath been shewed and as appears Matth. 8.12 Rom. 2.25 26 27. Acts 10.34 But 3. Knowing that God requires more of us to whom he gives more 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Luke 12.48 see that we take heed that we receive not his grace in vain but walk more humblily and holily and suitably to God and his goodness least they rise up in judgment against us and while they appear many of them on the right hand of Christ admitted to fellowship with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God we our selves be cast out Math. 8.12 and 12.40 41 42. but walking in the grace bestowed upon us see that we pity and pray for them that God would give forth the clearer and revelations of his truth and of himself to them also that having means for more inâ—ged knowledge of him they may be also in more open way for obtaining his Salvation and render more full and ample praises to him generally then any of them now can or are capable of yea and endeavour we so to glorify God and his Name before and amongst them and carry it forth as we have opportunity to them that they may by us as good Stewards of the Graces of God and dispensers of his Mysteries to them be occasioned to glorify God for his mercy toward them for so much doubtless is required of us as of Israel of old toward us Psal 67. Exod. 19.5 6. 1 Pet. 2.9 10 11 12. Rom. 11.30 31. But truly we have great cause to fear that God hath a very great controversie upon that account with us because instead of receiving his grace effectually so as both by word and conversation to shine forth as lights to the residue of men that they might be drawn to seek God with us as was the end of God in taking us to be for a people to him Acts 15.16 and instead of seeking his Kingdom to promote it and inlarge it among the Nations and to all the ends of the Earth and his righteousness by declaring it and holding it forth to them we are walking in darkness prophaneness uncleanness covetuousness wickedness seeking to inrich our selves and inlarge our Kingdoms even
with the spoils of them and to the stumbling and hardening of them withholding the light of the truth of God as with us from them and not minding to carry it amongst them or so to walk amongst our selves and in our trafficking and commerce with them as might manifest the favour of God to and amongst them or draw them unto us to seek God with us It were much to be wished that the Nations that are called Christian did more heartily believe and adorn the gospel-Gospel-truths that are held forth in the Scriptures amongst them and leaving off their pride ambition covetuousness and so their corruptings of the truth and contentions with each other for the Earth and all of us too much against Heaven they would set themselves and make it their design to indeavour the calling in and conversion of others that lie yet without the Scriptures and Oracles and Ways of God therein expressed to the more clear means of the knowledge of God and his Christ and so to their own happiness and endless bliss But by reason of the contrary found generally with us we have great cause to fear that reproof and judgment sometimes for the like miscarriages pronounced against Jerusalem in Ezek. 5.5 6 7. Thus faith the Lord God This Jerusalem I have set it in the midst of the Nations and Countries round about her and she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the Nations and my statutes more than the Countries that are round about her for they have refused my judgments and my statutes they have not walked in them Therefore thus saith the Lord God because ye have multiplied more than the Nations that are round about you and have not walked nâ—wy Statutes nor kept my Judgements neither have done according to the judgment of the Nations that are round about thâ— â—erefore thâ— saith the Lord God behold I eve◠〈◊〉 am against hee and will execute judgments â—n the midst of thee in the sight of the Nations c. That so the Nations might be taught to fear God by his judgments on us that have neglecteâ— to teach them to fear God by his judgments or Ordinance of truth deposited withus Vse 4 4. To warn us â—ot to sin presumptuously against God or neglect to receive his Grace effectually in the Dispensations of it and operations therein and therewith afforded in upon pretence of our need of some Irresistible operations and waiting for them in such a way as we fancy to our selves lest we do as Naaman in such a like misprision 2 Kings 5.11 12. or as saying 〈…〉 hearts that we can do nothing toward our oâ—â—fulâ—ess or hinderance in the way of salvation if God purpose to save us we shall be saved and cannot fail of it none can hinder his operations or workings to that purpose and if not so purposed to be saved it 's in vain to strive for it But minding what hath been said about his purposes of Salvation and Damnation and the way of his operation and working receive the Grace brought to us and yield up our selves to God in it to be saved by it not hardening our hearts against him while it is called to day but hearkening to his Voice such as it is in and with the Dispensations vouchsafed us and so working out our Salvation with fear and trembling as he by his Grace is working in us of his good pleasure lest by grieving and quenching his good Spirit in the workings of it in and with us and sinning presumptuously against him we provoke him to withdraw from us leave us to our selves and so harden and blind us and give us up to sin and Sathan to our utter ruin 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Heb. 3.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15. Psal 95.7 8 9 10 11. Isaâ— 1.3 4 5 6. 5.1 to 6. 6.9 10 11. Jer. 6.16 17 18 28 29 30. 5. To bless God for such as he either 〈…〉 ages or now more especially and signally â—th prevented with his grace so as more extraordinarily and â—ly to frame them to himself and raiâ— them up to 〈…〉 instruments of declaring to us â—is Salvation â—ing his grace by them as instruments brought 〈◊〉 us But not to limit God to deal with us or all his Saints just as he dealt with them but in what he vouchsafes us wait we upon him seek after him and serve him Vse 6 These and such like uses the foresaid Considerations might be of to us As also 6. Lastly to provoke others to examine and try these things whether they be so or not by the Scriptures of truth and not by mens traditions and Phylosophy rules And to give occasion to them to help my shortness or correct my mistakes in these things where any such appeareth and iâ— evident to any But let none out of pride arrogarcy or strife because these things clash with their thoughts therefore rashly lift up themselves against them but in Sobriety consider them and in meekness iâ—â—e if in any thing I be out of the way as knowing that the wrath pride passion arrogance and larshness of man against what he apprehends wrong doth not accomplish the righteousness of God And so I shall conclude leaving these my Considerations and Endeavours to find out and propound the Truth as also my self to the merciful judgment protection blessing and disposal of the All-wise and Glorious God the Creator of all things and the Father oâ—mercies to us lost Creatures And of Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour the Son of the Father in Gracâ— and Truth To whom with by and in his holy Spirit be everlasting honour and glory and thanksgiving throughout all ages and in all places of his Dominions for ever and ever Amen Amen FINIS Laus Deo The former Copy was finished March 10. 1658. This November 18. 1663.